sres 




POEMS 



FOR 



Odd Fellows and Rebekahs 



COMPILED BY 

W. J. SLATER, G. J. W. G. E. MICH. 




KALAMAZOO. MICH. 

KALAMAZOO PUBLISHING CO. 

1898. 



5134 



CONTENTS. 



ODD FELLOWS. 

The Initiation, . 

A "A What is it" Seventy-Six Years Old, 

How Cy Scroggins Jined the Order, 

A Beautiful Poem, . 

A True Story, _ 

Riding the Goat, - 

The Kicker, _ 

The Orphan's Home, 

He Couldn't Remember Everything, 

The Odd Fellows' Safeguard, 

Semi-Centennial Poem, . 

Brotherhood of Man, 

Friendship, .... 

Fourteen Years Ago To-Night, 

The Blacksmith's Dream, 

Our Motto, .... . 

Friendship, Love and Truth, 

Odd Fellowship Exposed, 

On Admission of a New Brother, 

On the Close of the Lodge, . 

On Introducing a Noble Grand, _ _ 

On a Visit, 

The Heart in Hand, _ 

Which do You Belong to? 

The Sick Man's Dream, . 

The Odd Fellow's Burial, _ 

Soliloquy of Cyrus Cute; or, the Country Noble 

Friendship, Love and Truth — Prose, 

Friendship — What is it? 

A Sterling Old Poem, _ 

Timmy Joins the Lodge, 

Friendship, Love and Truth, 

Lines to a Skeleton, . 

A Building Formed by the Works of the Order, 



Grand, 



Page. 

9 

12 

. 15 
21 

. 23 
26 

. 34 
35 

. 37 
39 
41 
43 

. 45 
47 

. 49 
50 
53 
57 
59 
60 
61 
62 
63 
65 
68 
71 
80 
84 
91 
92 
94 
96 
98 
100 



4 CONTENTS. 

Judge Not, . . _ 102 

What is Odd Fellowship? . . 106 

The Odd Fellow's Hope, . _ 108 

First Odd Fellow's Song, . . _ 110 

Three Links, . . .112 

Friendship, _ ... 113 

Our Cardinal Principles, . - . 115 

The New Noble Grand, _ _ . .116 

Progress and Fraternity, .... 117 

Cling to Those Who Cling to You, _ . .126 

Origin of Odd Fellowship, . _ . _ 127 

A Dream, . .... 129 

Give us a Grip of Your Hand, Brother, _ 134 

The Three Links, . . 136 

Temple of Odd Fellowship, _ .._ _ _ 138 

A Patriarch's Advice, _ ... 139 

Anniversary Hymn, _____ 141 

Fraternal Love, _ _ . ■ _ . . 142 

Emblems and Mottoes of Odd Fellowship, _ - 148 

Joining the Odd Fellows, - 151 

Odd Fellowship, _ 153 

Odd Fellowship, _ _ _ . _ - 158 

Odd Fellowship, _ 162 

What Odd Fellowship is, - 164 

Life's Promptings, - - » - - 165 

David and Goliath, - _ _ _ - 167 

Friendship, Love and Truth, _ 175 

Listless Lodge, ______ 180 

An Odd Fellow's Legend, _ _ _ 182 

The Odd Fellows' Chain, - _ _ - 185 

Odd Fellows' Day, September 25th, _ _ -187 

Elegy on Friendship, _____ 189 

REBEKAHS. 
To the Daughters of Rebekah, _ _ _ 1 

Odd Fellowship, _ _ _ _ _ 4 

Air— "The Old Oaken Bucket," _ _ 6 

A Brother's Hand, - _ _ _ 8 



CONTENTS. 

"Charms Strike the Sight, but Merit Wins the Soul," 10 

Rejuvenata, ______ 14 

Reveries of a Rebekah, _ _ _ _ .15 

The Pitcher, ______ 17 

The Wooing of Rebekah, _ _ _ .18 

How I Came to be a "Rebeky," 24 

The Young Widow, _ _ - _ .28 

Rebekah, ______ 30 

The Jiners, _ - _ _ _ -31 

Rebekah at the Well, 40 

The Rebekah Sisters, _ _ _ _ -43 

Daughters of Rebekah, 46 

Rebekah's Off for the Convention, _ _ _ 47 

No Name, ______ 48 

An Ideal Rebekah, _ _ _ _ -51 

Hail, Daughters of Rebekah, 53 

A Sister Rebekah, _ _ _ _ .55 

Sometimes, _ _____ 56 

One Christmas, _ _ _ _ . -58 

These Links of Gold, 62 

Rebekah, _ _ _ _ _ _ 65 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Lodge Hymn, _____ 1 

Friendship, Love and Truth, _ _ _ _ 3 

The Odd Fellows, _____ 5 

Selfishness, _ _ _ _ _ 6 

Odd Fellow's Song, _____ 7 

The Orphan's Prayer, _ _ _ _ 9 

Who are the Odd Fellows ? _ 10 

The Three Links, _ _ _ - -11 

Forget Them, . _ _ _ _ 12 

When Adam was a Kid, _ _ _ _ .13 

The Odd Fellows' Orphans, 15 

The Flower of Odd Fellowship, _ _ -17 

The World Would be Better for it, _ _ _ 18 



ODD FELLOWS. 



POEMS. 
ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS, 



THE INITIATION. 



The Lodge it is opened — the brothers all there. 

The Noble Grand and Vice Grand each installed 
in his chair; 

The Conductor and Warden, each knowing his 
place, 

Are prepared to perform the work on a complac- 
ent face, — 

The Guard at his station, to obey the command, 
That is given at this time by the Vice Grand. 
All things being ready, the brothers all stand, 
Anxious and silent, with a smile that is bland. 

A stranger raps at the inside door — 

He raps again, and again once more; 

The guard he inquires, "What would you within?" 

The answer: "Your secrets — let a sinner come in." 

The door it is opened by command of Vice 

Grand, — 
Blindfolded, dejected, within the Lodge room he 

stands — 



10 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Is met by Conductor, who oftimes before 
Has explained to the novice who has passed the 
Lodge door. 

He is scared out of his boots and is quivering all 

o'er, 
As he thinks of his money and perhaps the letting 

of gore; 
But the climax is reached, so he is bound in 

chains, 
Expects the next moment to be devoured by 

flames. 

But the brethren all think the joke rather thin, 
And cry with a loud voice, "Have mercy on him!" 
The Conductor, who feels for other's woes, 
Calls out to the culprit: "Advance, on your toes!" 

Silent and slow, as he advances within, 

Darkness and doubt are apparent to him, 

For goggles obscure a sight of his foes, 

And he expects every moment a blow on the nose. 

The scene is changed; soon the candidate knows 
That knowledge is gained from each other's woes; 
When the Conductor remarks: "Be serious, my 

friend, 
"List attentively until the ceremonies are at an 

end." 

He looks aghast — he sees a sight 
As the Chaplain reads: "Oh! man, do right! 
"Think of the past, change your course, 
"Else you be overcome with remorse." 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 11 

The candidate's limbs shivered and shook, 
As the Conductor read the charge from the book; 
"Think what you are and what you have been, 
"And remember the emblem — a lesson to men." 

With the Warden's advice, given low but clear, 
He's again presented to the Vice Grand's chair; 
Freed from the bondage, denoted by chains, 
Restored to that light to which everyone aims. 

He sees from the first that all things are fair 
And is presented forthwith to the principal chair; 
He's welcomed among a fraternity old, 
It's secrets to him are very soon told. 

Then at the chair of the acting Past Grand, 
He's taught of his duties; if he has sand 
He'll heed every word as to him it is given, 
And from doing bad deeds he'll surely be driven; 

That the vows he has taken show plainly and clear 
That his honor's at stake each day in the year. 
Then he's welcomed in friendship with a right 

honest hand, 
An elected member of the Odd Fellow's band. 

His confidence restored, but with a peculiar look 
And some little nervousness he then signs the book, 
With the vows that he has taken registered above, 
He is again bound in chains that all Odd Fellows 
love. 



A "A WHAT IS IT," SEVENTY-SIX 
YEARS OLD. 

BY JAMES MC LAUGHLIN, P. G. 



The transit of seventy-six years we may note 
Since first to our fields came that terrible goat. 
He was large for a kid and stout for his age, 
And stood up to the rack for the philosophical sage 
Who was willing to ride his mysterious back 
And take in the lessons that lay in his track. 
His fame spread abroad and thousands applied 
To saddle his goatship and indulge in a ride. 
But none are permitted his features to scan 
Until he has proven himself every inch a true man. 
If measured by morals he stands a true test, 
He can saddle his goatship and ride at his best. 
And what are the lessons mysteriously wrote 
On the path that is traversed by that terrible goat? 
And what knows the rider as he tightens the rein, 
Having ridden the goat three links of the chain? 
He learns that true Friendship is a solace for woe, 
And binds. into kinship the high and the low — 
That the grip of a brother means more than a shake, 
And the signal of danger saves many a break, 
That love leads to labor for muscle and mind 
And opens the purse for the sake of mankind, 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 13 

That the sorrows that hover o'er a sick brother's 

head 
Are dispelled by the sunshine that encircles his 

bed- 
That when the cold lips speak the password no 

more, 
And a brother has gone to that evergreen shore, 
The home of the widow is blest with the thought 
That's rewarded in Heaven and Odd Fellowship 

taught, 
That the labor of love is the duty of man 
And the home of a brother we must aid if we can; 
That the child of a brother must not beg for his 

bread 
While written in Heaven is our pledge to the 

dead. 
The link of the chain that typifies love 
Is the central on earth and the greatest above. 
And then in the circuit new scenes come in view 
And with friendship and love he embraces the true. 
The beauty of truth is a feast for the eye, 
As the test of true manhood in the great mystic tie 
That binds into union the armies that train 
On the plaza that is bounded by three links of 

the chain. 
Such are the lessons that the rider must note 
Who travels the lodge on that terrible goat. 
If sportive of mind, upon speed he may bet, 
But the lessons he learns he will never forget. 
Though the goat is so old that the hair of his back- 
Is scattered like snow both sides of the track, 



14 POEMS— ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS, 

His muscle is good and he butts with a grace 
That's fully in keeping with the needs of the case. 
Woe to the unworthy or rascally wretch 
Who loses his grip when on the home stretch. 
But peace to the good and truth loving man 
Who hangs to the goat the best that he can; 
Whose grip is as true as the All Seeing Eye, 
Till the password he renders at the portal on high. 
The rules of the Order a side saddle provide, 
So the wives of the brothers may all take a ride. 
God bless the dear women who Rebekahs became 
And added their love to Odd Fellowship's name, 
For a pure woman's heart in the links of the chain, 
Is the glory and aid of a true brother's brain. 
Then you men who would censure, from your eye 

pull the mote, 
And thank God there exists such a terrible goat. 



HOW CY SCROGGINS JINED THE ORDER. 

BY BRO. M. B. TOWNSEND, OF BOISE, IDAHO. 



The boys of No. 99, at Plunkettville, one time, 
At one another slyly wkiked, and said, "You'd 

better jine;" 
I guessed I would, and so one night I got my 

Sunday coat, 
And as I left, I said to Sue, "I'm going to ride 

the goat." 

Now, I don't claim to ride the best of any man in 

town, 
But 'lowed no livin' broncho could ever get me 

down; 
I kinder laughed at what I thought would be a 

big surprise 
To that there goat when he had found he'd struck 

one of his size. 

But I felt a kind o' sinkin' and a scrimigin 

within, 
When a cur'ous lookin' creetur said the fun would 

soon begin; 
And I had a crawlin' feelin' a runnin' down my 

back, 
And things got kinder hazy, and I couldn't see the 

track. 



16 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

My teeth began to chatter, and my knees began 

to shake, 
'Twas wuss than last December, when I fell into 

the lake. 
At last a chap in fixin's said now 'twas time to 

proceed, 
And I said as how I thought that he'd better take 

the lead. 

He tuck me by the elbow and he swung me inter 

line, 
I guessed he knowed his business, so I tho't I'd 

not decline; 
I grabbed onter my courage, fer I didn't want 

ter fail, 
And then we struck it lively down that most 

infernal trail. 

'Twas nip and tuck, or su'thin, for a dozen miles 

er more, 
And I can't tell how it happened, but I know I 

kept the floor; 
I felt a little sweaty after hurryin' about, 
And kind o' trembly in my jints to feel the world 

shut out. 

An' then we just slowed up a bit, to take a 

breathin' spell; 
They said to not get rattled, 'twould scare the 

goat to yell; 
I heard his chains a clankin', the stampin' of his feet 
And other funny noises, that sounded like his bleat. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 17 

An' then the lights got red, and green, and rather 

ghostly like, 
I had a sort of feelin' when the lightnin's 'bout 

to strike; 
I heard the music soft and low, and felt a solemn 

streak 
Go slowly crawling round my throat, so that I 

couldn't speak. 

I thought how mean I'd been to Sue, and didn't 

know just why; 
But tears cum up right in my eyes, I felt as 

though I'd cry; 
I thought of how she toiled and slaved to make 

our home look bright, 
And guessed I hadn't helped her so often as I 

might. 

And then I got to thinkin'; supposin' she was 

dead — 
I couldn't ax her pardon fer the ugly words I'd 

said — 
'Twould break my heart to see her hands lie 

folded on her breast, 
And look into her careworn face a lyin' there 

at rest. 

And then I said it softly, down somewhere in my 

heart, 
"I'll be a better man to Sue, until death shall us 

part." 



18 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

I thought that God had heard me, and would help 

me true to be, 
And I heard the music playing, "Nearer, My God, 

to Thee." 

The music then grew fainter, and the light began 

to fade; 
A feller clapped me on the back, and said he 

guessed we'd stayed 
Around these diggin's long enough, we'd better 

jog along; 
I 'lowed he knew the country, and said I'd follow 

on. 

I heard a sort of buzzin' and a hummin' in my 

brain, 
And don't suppose I'd knowed enough to come 

in out of the rain; 
But that there chap that stuck to me when things 

looked mighty blue, 
Said: "Never mind," he guessed I'd last to ride 

the critter through. 

We veered a little from our course, and started 

'cross the plain, 
My feelin's rose considerable, but soon come 

down again: 
We found an old man on the trail, I tried to help 

him rise, 
I guess I could of done it, but he made an awful 

noise. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 19 

Of course, I felt a little mean, but said I meant 

no harm, 
If I were rough, it was because I worked upon 

a farm; 
He felt concerned, lest I should tell the things 

that he had said; 
And when I left he just stood there and shook 

his old gray head. 

We went around and 'round and 'round, like 

hosses on a track, 
And when the fun got rather tame, they set me 

up and back, 
And then they sung and told me that I'd nothing 

now to fear, 
But still I felt as skerry as a Texas yearlin' 

steer. 

I wondered if that pesky goat would keep it up 

all night — 
I was afraid I'd lose my grip and fall off in my 

fright, 
They told me this, and told me that, and what to 

say and do, 
They might as well have told it to a jumpin' 

kangaroo. 

At last the game was finished, and they allowed 

I'd won the prize; 
I said I'd look it over when the dust was out of 

my eyes. 



20 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

I s'pose I acted rather odd, it wouldn't have been 

strange, 
The way we had it up and down, across the pesky 

range. 

It's been almost a score of years since I took 

down my coat, 
'Way back in Plunketville, that time to go and 

ride the goat; 
An' many a chap I've helped put through since 

that immortal night, 
And laughed and laughed like all get out to see 

'em hold on tight. 

And many a hard old tussle I had with this 

cur'ous world, 
An' strange ideas an' fancies queer all through 

my head have whirled, 
But none compare to what I felt that night at 

ninety-nine, 
As I went it pretty lively down the 'nidation 

line. 



A BEAUTIFUL POEM. 

FROM THE POPULAR ODD FELLOW. 



A traveler to Jericho traveled one day, 
Thoughtless of danger that lurked by the way, 
Past rugged mountains, where cluster the pine, 
And the green trees which the Jordan doth line. 

The sea in the distance, so calm and so fair! 

The way is so pleasant, and balmy the air; 

But soon there's a change; and these scenes fade 

away, 
For through a rough country his journey now lay. 

When suddenly nearing a narrow defile, 
Intent on the thoughts of his mission the while, 
A fierce band of robbers sprang out of their lair 
And beat him and robbed him and then left him 
there. 

While wounded and bleeding and left there to die, 
A priest from the temple is seen passing by. 
"Oh! help me; I'm dying!" he cries with a moan. 
Unheeded, uncared for, he's left there alone. 

"Oh God! must I perish — of succor despair? 
A Levite approaches! now I shall have care. 
Oh, help! son of Levi; I'm dying!" he cried. 
But, no, he too passes on the other side! 



22 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

"Help, help! I am wounded — but who comes this 

way? 
A foe to my people I've oft heard them say. 
Oh, man of Samaria, have mercy on me! 
I'm bleeding and dying, you surely must see." 

"Now, what have we here?" the Samaritan cries; 
"An Israelite, whom we've been taught to despise; 
And yet, I can't leave him alone here to die, 
For he is my brother — to save him I'll try." 

He gave him a cordial, poured balm in his wound, 
Then took off his mantel and wrapped it around 
The shivering form of the poor Israelite, 
And sought out an inn for his shelter at night. 

There's no need to ask for the lesson here taught 
Of brotherly love, with true friendship fraught, 
We very well know that your answer would be — 
"He was my friend, who had mercy on me." 



A TRUE STORY. 

BY HENRY S. BAKER, M. A. 



A stranger walked the crowded street, 
With lonely heart and weary feet; 
His business done, the morrow's noon, 
Would find him home, and none too soon. 

For a piercing pain raged in his breast, 
And he longed for home, its peace and rest; 
Where loving hands should ease the pain, 
Because they loved and not for gain. 

But death, unseen walked by his side, 
With lifted dart and kingly stride, 
Though two walked there, men saw but one 
With pained-pinched face, his work was done. 

For cruel death with keen edged dart, 
Pierced through and through his faithful heart. 
He fell to earth with but a groan, 
And midst the passing throng lay prone. 

The rabble spoke with cruel sneer, 
"The man is drunk. Policeman, here!" 
A doctor came, of noble mein, 
On whose lapel three links were seen. 



24 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

He took his hand and pressed his heart, 
And then drew back with sudden start, 
"Not drunk, but dead; who is his friend? 
What, none? then doubly sad his end." 

Call the patrol; take him away; 
And in the morgue the body lay. 
"Policeman, quick" —but then he caught 
The glint of badge most finely wrought. 

The sign, a heart, in open palm, 
Lay on his breast in death so calm. 
Again he spoke, with moistened eye, 
To the policeman standing by, — 

"I'm the city doctor. Now my men, 
His soul has gone beyond your ken, 
But his poor clay is in my care, 
Woe to you if one shall dare, 

"To roughly treat, for true as steel, 
His thousand brothers watch your deal. 
Upon the wagon gently place 
His noble form with gentle pace. 

"Proceed. And where? I go with you, 
And find his brothers ever true." 
For him was done all love could ask, 
And not perforce, — a loving task. 

A hundred men with solemn tread, 
Marched to the train beside the dead. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 25 

His loved ones kissed their loved once more, 
With tears his face was covered o'er. 

His brethren read, beside his tomb, 

Words full of hope, amid the gloom. 

At evening in that lonely home, 

When prayers are said, and tears will come. 

The widow asks that God above 
Will bless the Order, full of love, 
That helped her little mouths to feed, 
And faithful were in sorest need. 

The orphans, kneeling by their bed, 
Ask* blessings on the doctor's head, — 
That his dear ones may ever share 
Our Father's love and tender care. 

The sign of heart in open hand 
Works deeds of this on every land. 



RIDING THE GOAT. 

BY MONT. HOWARD. 



I've experienced the ups and downs of life, 
And often went through calm and strife, 
But the greatest event was that one when, 
Well-known to secret society men, 
And which I now proceed to note, 
Was the time I tackled the Odd Fellow goat. 

My petition went through without a kick 
For I didn't ask them to take me on tick, 

And they soon assured me I was O. K. 

And surely would never regret the day; 
So not caring to ask how stood the vote 
I nerved myself for riding the goat. 

Two men as escorts, smiling and bland, 
Selected to show me the hall of their band, 
Met me on time, as they had agreed, 
And I was to follow where they should lead; 
But what they said I dare not quote, 
For since that time I have ridden the goat. 

Up two nights of stairs they piloted me, 
While I was wondering what I should see, 
And stored me away in an ante-room, 
To await their pleasure if not my doom, 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 27 

But I had no intention, the least remote 
Of backing out from riding the goat. 

In due course of time a committee came in 
And said they were ready the work to begin; 

They searched me for weapons and captured 
my gun, 

And then I knew the "work" had begun; 
They bandaged my eyes and took off my coat, 
Then said I was ready for riding the goat. 

Being blind as a bat I had to be led 
But I kept my ears open to all that was said, 
And the way they waltzed me around that room 
Was like going through a rag-carpet loom, 
And all the surroundings seemed to denote 
That I was sure enough riding the goat. 

Forward, backward, upward and down, 
Wild man from Borneo just came to town; 
Saltpeter and parsnips, pickled pig's feet, 
Shall I hang to the goat or beat a retreat? 
I imagined I heard them snicker and gloat 
Over the antics of a simpleton riding a goat. 

Whoa, Billy! Don't shake me to death! 
Go get a mandamus to save my breath! 
Gee whiz! put on the brake! Gosh! 
Who threw that brick? When will I light? 
Must have went higher than Gilroy's kite! 
Log chains, limberger, dead men's bones! 
Bituminous hades and petrified groans! 



28 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Let me down easy — throw me a rope! — 
A soft place to light — my only hope! — 
Catch me! — save me! — bring me a boat! — 
Shoot the driver and head off the goat! 
Whiz! Buzz!! Bang!!! 

Have I lit? No, thank you. Where am I at? 
Its all right boys; you've got 'er down pat! 

But say; is life real? are things what they seem? 

Was there just one goat or twelve in the team? 
Yes, I do feel queer, disjointed and mellow, 
But I suppose I am now a good Odd Fellow? 

"Don't you believe it," replied two or three, 
"You have only taken the Initial Degree!" 

I wended my way to my virtuous couch, 
Chewing a cud of Bloch's Mail Pouch, 
While in my mind revolved "Can it be 
That I have only taken the Initial degree?" 
"Well, I don't care; I'll have a bond that will float 
When I get through riding the Odd Fellow goat." 

In a week I went back, light hearted and free, 

To ride the goat in the First Degree; 

They were ready the mysteries to unfold, 
The half of which have never been told; 

And I was ready my time to devote 

To another round with that Billy goat. 

Rigged up and toggled out for the affray, 
Pull open the throttle and clear the way; 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 29 

Hold him down boys, give me a chance, 
Now let him buck and kick and prance; 
He will find that I'm a hard load to tote, 
And I'll never give up till I ride that goat. 

Woap, now! hold the tricky beast still, 
Till I get a good holt, for ride him I will; 

I know the critter is onto his job — 

Almost equal to an organized mob, 
And I myself am a howling coyote, 
When it comes to riding an Odd Fellow goat. 

Whoa! I'm shaking — got the ''buck ager," 
But cut him loose — let 'm go Gallager. 
Whoa! whoa!! he's fiercer than ever. 
But to take the degree its now or never! 
Barbed-wire, baled-hay and bumble bees, 
Hell up to date and two more degrees! 
Head him off — pull him in! — enough! 
I'll never make another bluff; 
I'm willing to quit with what I know 
If somebody will only help me let go. 
Jonathan — Jericho — Je-ru-sa-lem ! 
Help me now the storm to stem! 
Save me! — David — son of Jesse! 
Get a priest to come and bless me! 
Whoop — what? — where? when? — 
Only — think — what — might have — been! 
Go — tell — my mother — awful — fate! 

Would — like — to — back — out 

Too— late ! !— too— late ! ! ! 

* * * * 



30 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Wha' 'smatter with me? 'ave you found all the 

pieces? 
Stick my limbs back on, 'ere pulsation ceases, — 
No; don't want any water — bring me a gun! 
If that darn goat aint dead I'll show you some 
fun! 
No; needn't mind, don't take another vote; 
I've got all I want of this riding the goat. 

What? Let me off easy? what do you mean? 

The easiest come-down you have ever seen? 
Well, let me say here, if that be true, 
I don't care to see any more that is new; 

I have a dear wife, on whom I dote 

And don't propose to make her a widow by riding 
a goat. 

"Oh you're all right brother," came the reply, 
"To be an Odd Fellow is to do or to die; 
You'll be brave as a lion 'ere another week 
While Billy grows tame, gentle and meek; 
Brace up, be brave, you're half way thro', 
And to back out now would never do." 

I departed again for a week's respite, 
And to ponder over the work of the night; 
And the more I determined the case to rue, 
The more I repeated "I'm half way thro'." 
And as I slept at my hotel de Hote 
My dreams all related to riding the goat. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 31 

But sure enough on the next meeting night, 

I was promptly on hand, early and bright, 
Eager to see what the future would bring, 
With little thought of my bruises and sting, 

Anxious to see the rock that Aaron smote 

And finish the job of riding the goat. 

No time was lost in getting to work 
And away we went with a jump and a jerk; 
I had made no brags but had vowed anew 
To stay with 'em just as all Odd Fellows do; 
And swore I would never squeal like a shoat 
If I got my neck broke a-riding the goat. 

Now Billy goes as if I'm no burden, 
Sailing as a boat on the river Jordan; 
Sailing I said, he goes easy to-night, 
Think I have tamed 'm down about right; 
Whoa now, no kicking; better give up, 
This whirl and one more before we sup. 
Placid highway, the clustering pine, 
Faithful Levite and winding vine; 
Good Samaritan, soothing balm, 
The way before peaceful and calm; 
Woap! Hold on now; don't get too fast, 
Needn't repeat the tricks of the past; 
Rip, slap! Put on the brake! 
The beast again is making a break! 
Choctows and chiggers, am I a chump? 
He's worse than ever on the jump! 
Robbers, thieves! thunder and thorns! 



32 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Darn a goat with crumbled horns! 
Whoop! scoop! will I freeze to death? 
Get a cork-screw to help draw my breath! 
Blazes, brick-bats, Boston baked beans! 
Daring dashes, devils and deans! 
Cyclones, calamity, centipedes! 
Combustion, collapses and ancient creeds, 
Dynamite, dog-days and doodle bugs, 
Hobgoblins, hand-saws and ulgy mugs, 
Ouch, Oh! Ossified man! 
Stop the darn goat — if you can; 
Brimstone, Beelzebub, blank-e-te-blank, 
Horrible — sorrowful — outrageous — rank! 
Bz-z-z-z * my ! * name * ? mud! 
Zz-z-z * ? dull * sick'ning * thud! 

Another sniff of that camphor, please, 
I'm all right now; only weak in the knees. 
Save your sympathy, I'm not hurt, 
Nor as a goat rider am I an expert; 
But from my eye is now gone the moat, 
One of the good results of riding the goat. 

The week passed by and again I appeared 
At the place to which I am now endeared, 
And the welcome that was on me bestowed, 
Even made me love the goat I had rode; 
More anxious than ever to be set afloat 
In the very last round of riding the goat. 

Booted and spurred, with a snow white gown, 
I mounted the goat of fame and renown, 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 33 

But oh the difference, how gentle and kind, 
How steady my nerves and easy my mind; 
No fear, no trembling, no heart in my throat, 
What blissful pleasure, this riding the goat. 

No kicking, no rearing, no perilous leaps, 
The reward the brave invariably reaps; 
Beautiful colors my eyes have met, 
White, pink, blue and the scarlet, 
Nor can I forget the all-seeing eye, 
And the lessons learned till the day I die; 
The triple link, the bundle of sticks, 
The antics of Billy, including the kicks; 
The bow and arrow, quiver and casket, 
But I can't explain further — do not ask it; 
I have passed from Jerusalem to Jericho 
And am now a superfine Odd Fellow. 

So ends my story, I have told it in verse, 
If not well done, it might have been worse; 
If not true to life and sound to the core, 
You will understand I dare not tell more; 
But no brother will kick on what I have wrote 
For every one of them has ridden the goat. 



THE KICKER. 



A kicker went down to his Lodge one time, 

With blood in his rolling eye, 
For come what might he would kick that night 

Or know the reason why. 

But peace and harmony prevailed, 
The business went along with a vim, 

So the kicker, with pain he waited in vain, 
For the kick that was coming to him. 

At last he arose from his seat and addressed 

The Chief ot high degree, 
And said, "I desire your permission to retire, 

This is no place for me." 

And as he passed out into the dark 
And gloom of the cheerless street, 

He stopped on the stairs and kicked himself, 
And kicked with both his feet. 

What lodge he belonged to I cannot tell, 
For to every lodge there is sticking 

A kicker who kicks, and kicks, and kicks, 
And kicks tor the sake of kicking. 



THE ORPHANS' HOME. 

'REBEKAH," IN "MICHIGAN HERALD." 



We sing of a beautiful emblem, 

A triple-linked band of pure gold, 
That holds us in fondest affection — 

Affection that never grows old. 
There are garlands of snow for the aged, 

And chaplets for sweet summer years; 
There are cheeks where the roses are blooming, 

And others deep furrowed by tears; 
There are hearts in the heydey of gladness, 

And hearts in the depth of despair; 
Some of us wear purple and jewels, 

And some but the garments of care; 
But, hand clasped in hand, we're united, 

And each feels the burden of all; 
While into no life comes a sorrow 

That tears from all eyes do not fall. 

Fair Friendship. What is it? A phantom? 

The magical form of a name, 
Like the temple we fancied in childhood, 

That wonderful palace of fame? 
Or, is it a sound that allures us 

Afar o'er the desert of life, 
Then leaves us alone in the darkness, 

When foes and when dangers are rife? 



36 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

And Love, does that mean selfish nature, 

That hides in its close, narrow cell, 
Though the world is wandering homeless, 

Or forced in a desert to dwell? 
Love worketh no ill to its neighbor, 

Love lists to the orphan's sad cry; 
And over the widowed and helpless 

Spread treasures that gold cannot buy. 

Love rears a fair home for the orphan, 

Prayer-hallowed from basement to tower, 
And trusts to the all-loving Father 

For strength for the day and the hour. 
So founded in Friendship, and builded 

By hearts ruled by Love's law alone, 
Our Home rears its walls firm and lasting, 

For Truth is the chief corner stone. 
Then fear not the cloud nor the tempest, 

Nor tremble, though thunders may roll, 
There's nothing can harm while we honor 

This three-handed union of soul. 



HE COULDN'T REMEMBER EVERY- 
THING. 

G. H. H., IN "FRATERNAL NEWS." 



He was up in all the mysteries of forty different 
orders, 
And could place a man correctly by a single 
sign or grip, 
Knew the various fraternities within the country's 
borders, 
And could give the salutation of them all with- 
out a skip. 
At the passwords and the countersigns he never 
hesitated, 
He could pass examinations of the hardest 
kind with ease, 
And in all the special functions of a lodge partici- 
pated. 
For he knew the work of every place in all of 
the degrees, 
And when necessary he was able to preside at 
any meeting. 
At tongue's end had the ritual and never used 
a book, 
And when he the longest lectures and the dryest 
was repeating 
So glibly and word perfectly, he had a happy 
look. 



38 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

He took up any part at once without a moment's 
thinking, 
His memory was wonderful, and yet his 
brothers sorrowed; 
There was one little point at which his brains 
were ever kinking, 
He never could remember any money that 
he borrowed. 



THE ODDFELLOWS' SAFEGUARD. 

BY THOS. I. CROWE. 



Impulsive youth ! if to success thou wouldst 

attain, 
Mark well thy course to all thy ardor seeks to 

gain, 
And ere in manhood's path you tread, with spirits 

free, 
Heed well the lessons learn'd, for future use to 

thee. 
Ambition loud doth call, stern conflict seems but 

fun, 
All things look bright and fair, and fame seems 

eas'ly won. 
Thou'lt find in coming years the worth of Friend- 
ship's power, 
'Twill help you in the sunshine or in the stormy 

hour. 
YVhate'er thy station be, in palace or in cot, 
The warning heed: "Forget it not — -forget it not/" 

Man in thy noble prime, 'mid earth's stern, cease- 
less strife, 

The joys and sorrows, hopes and fears of life, 

Unev'n appears to thee the never ending fight. 

Foul vice and crime seem sure to triumph over 
right; 



40 POEMS— ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Fear not, but labor on and bravely strive and 

plan, 
Your duty do to God, and home and fellow man; 
Love linked with Truth will in the end put fraud 

to flight. 
Ev'n in this world it pays to always do the right. 
Whate'er thy station be, in palace or in cot, 
The warning heed: " Forget it not— forget it not!" 

And thou, gray sire, o'er whom old age comes 

swiftly on, 
Whose "trembling limbs" betoken sure thy setting 

sun, 
Whose life object battle is nearly won, or lost, 
Give us of thy wisdom; — is the struggle worth the 

cost? 
What knowledge hath dear "experience" to thee 

brought? 
What "safeguard" found 'gainst "ills of life" thou 

long hast fought? 
Listen to the answer, both middle age and youth, 
"Practice in thy daily life, Friendship, Love and 

Truth r 
Whate'er thy station be, in palace or in cot, 
This precept heed: "Forget it not— forget it not!" 



SEMI-CENTENNIAL POEM. 

Delivered at Concord, N. H., July 9, 1894, at the celebration by 
the Grand Lodge of the Granite State, by Rev. Bro. A. J. Hough, Poet 
Laureate of the Grand Lodge of Vermont, I. O. O. F. 



Around the granite hills to-day 

The Three Links of our Order fold; 
And to the eye new charms display, 

For they have changed to links of gold. 
From near and far Odd Fellows throng 

Their fifty years to celebrate, 
And hail with music, speech and song, 

The Grand Lodge of the Granite State. 

To Concord, fair, ten brothers came 

In Forty-four, and founded deep 
In Friendship, Love and Truth, her fame 

Whose fiftieth natal year we keep. 
Their faith was like their deed, sublime, 

Their love was strong, their hope was great 
Who built for all the years of time 

The Grand Lodge of the Granite State. 

Twelve thousand sons hold dear her name 
Within their hearts where'er they roam; 

Ten thousand daughters guard her fame, 
Rebekahs by the wells of home. 

The hearts she succored in distress, 



42 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Their crosses bore, of heavy weight, 
Shall turn this golden day, to bless 

The Grand Lodge of the Granite State. 

What has she wrought through fifty years? 

Brave deeds of mercy night and day! 
The widow's heart consoled; the tears 

Of orphans gently wiped away. 
Her voice, to souls in storm and strife, 

Has been like one from heaven's gate, 
And God has blessed with growing life 

The Grand Lodge of the Granite State. 

This splendid Home, wrought by her hands, 

The gift of love, to shield her own, 
In silent grandeur ever stands 

To make her Christlike mission known. 
Its open door to blameless need, 

Its sweetening wrought for bitter fate, 
Shall make immortal as her deed 

The Grand Lodge of the Granite State. 

We hail and crown her with our praise, 

We pledge our love to make her name 
Still grander in the coming days, 

And add new luster to her fame. 
In larger service may she rise, 

Her life be long, her death so late 
That time shall see with closing eyes 

The Grand Lodge of the Granite State. 



BROTHERHOOD OF MAN, 

BY GEO. W. MORGAN. 



Now, my friends, I am an Odd Fellow, 

And it is my pride and boast 
That I've been considered worthy 

Of communion with that host; 
Our motto's Truth. Love, Friendship, 

And fraternity our plan; 
Our greatest pride and glory is 

The Brotherhood of man. 

Yes, we dry the wretched orphan's tears, 

And cheer the widow's sight; 
We succor age's failing years, 

And bury when they die. 
All kinds of vice and wickedness 

YYe place beneath a ban; 
We own the Fatherhood of God, 

And Brotherhood of Man. 

Yes, we aid the poor and needy, 

And we cheer the weary heart; 
In every phase of life we try 

To act a noble part, 
No matter who may lag behind, 

We strive to lead the van, 
And bear aloft the banner of 

The Brotherhood of Man. 



44 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

And let us hope 'twill be our pride, 

When we are called away, 
To see the blessed fruits that grow 

From seeds we sow to-day; 
And that the glorious angel band 

Will emulate our plan, 
And Heaven bless all those who own 

The Brotherhood of Man. 



FRIENDSHIP. 



Lovingly, sorrowing, oft do we sigh, 
When the shadows of life bring tears to the eye, 
For one whose friendship, like Moses of old, 
Was given in love, not bought with gold. 

Singing and dying, without any care, 
Friendship is like a bird in the air, 
It flutters and flies, in summer it comes, 
In winter is gone, leaves desolate homes. 

Like the flower that blooms in early spring, 
It fades away and leaves a sting 
In the heart of one, who just then 
Needs Friendship's hand, to help him win. 

Like the shooting star at early morn, 
As it flies through space, and is lost in gloom, 
Friendship is offered where none need its hand, 
Flies off at a tangent when its in demand. 

Like the sun in the heavens its dazzling light 
Is gone when the storm is at its height, 
Friendship is found in days that are bright 
But pales when clouded with want and blight. 



46 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Like the moon in its path through a starry sky, 
It sinks away as morning draws nigh, 
Friendship is found where plenty reigns 
But lost when crossing poverty's plains. 

But while at times the sun is dim, 
The moon it pales, the stars not seen, 
God willed it so, and He commands 
That Friendship shall extend its hands. 

Then came a day, by that command 
Bro. Wildey led a noble band 
Within whose ranks, with loving grip, 
Is found extended true Friendship. 

Lovingly, faithfully, with generous hand 
Is extended that friendship all through the land, 
To the high and the low, none does it dodge 
Who enter into an Odd Fellows' lodge. 



FOURTEEN YEARS AGO TO-NIGHT. 

BY.BRO. JAMES T. JOHNS. 



Fourteen years ago to-night, midst loving friends 
we sat, 
And round the room went laughter, jest and 
song; 
We thought not of the future, for there lived in 
every heart 
The present of a manhood pure and strong, 
We thought of wives and sweethearts and of 
friends across the sea, 
For everything was rosy-hued and bright; 
Not a shadow of a sorrow came between us and 
our joys, 
In our happiness fourteen years ago to-night. 

Chorus. 

Then where are the boys who vow'd eternal 
friendship? 
Good natured fellows with spirits gay and 
bright, 
Where are the ones who sang the songs of 
gladness 
And spent an hour with us, just fourteen years 
ago to-night? 



48 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Fourteen years ago to-night, here in friendships 
name we met 
To greet each other in friendship, love and 
truth; 
To form our Lodge of Odd Fellows — in brother- 
hood to stand, 
And swore to keep our vow of manly work. 
And, oh, the pleasant moments, the laughter and 
the wit, 
That woke the sleeping echoes of delight, 
As we shook hands with each other and we sang 
our songs of joy, 
When we parted friends, fourteen years ago 
to-night. 

Chorus — Then where are the boys, etc. 

Refrain. 

And fourteen years have told their tale, for men 
will ever roam, 
Some of them lie in foreign lands and others 
sleep at home; 
But still our hearts go back again in sorrow and 
delight, 
To friends we had and joys we knew, fourteen 
years ago to-night. 



THE BLACKSMITH'S DREAM. 



So he hammered and wrought, and he toiled and 
he fought, 
Till Aurora peeped over the plain, 
When the angel flew by and ascended the sky, 

But left on his anvil a chain; 
Its links were as bright as heaven's own light, 
And it bore on each fold, in letters of gold, 
This legend: "Love, Friendship and Truth." 
The dreamer awoke and peeped through the 
smoke, 
At the anvil which sat by his side, 

And there in a sheath of a flower-bound wreath, 
The triple link chain he espied, 

The Odd Fellow's Gem, that bright diadem, 
Their motto in age and in youth. 

Their food and their fare with the widows they 
share, 
For no heart beats alone where the Odd Fellows 
are. 



OUR MOTTO. 

BY ]AS. MC LAUGHLIN. 



I saw in a distant city, 

Far over the pathless sea, 
A scene in the days of my boyhood, 

That always seems grand to me; 
I beheld a vast column approaching, 

With banner clouded in dust, 
I read on its folds when sighted, 

Our motto, "In God we Trust." 

I saw the column move onward, 

In its ranks were the young and the old 
Arrayed in garments of splendor, 

Regardless of Crimson and Gold; 
There marched the Princes and Peasants, 

Methinks I can see them all now, 
As they marched to the soul stirring music, 

With the Knights of the Anvil and Plow. 

They wore on their Breasts strange Devices, 

Crossed Gavels, Crossed Axes and Keys, 
The Pen, the Sword, the Hour Glass 

And a Fresh Budded Rod from a tree ; 
One had the Bow and the Quiver, 

Another the Serpent Twined Rod, 
And one, dressed in Heaven's Regalia, 

Carried proudly the Volume of God. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 51 

Then came an old man, 

Bearing hard on his staff, 
He must have passed three-score and ten, 

His trembling limbs and his wrinkled brow, 
How I wish I could see him again; 

He bowed to the throng on his right and left, 
He was pleased with the chosen lot, 

And seemed to say as he passed us by, 
"Forget it not, forget it not." 

Then a beautiful banner, held high in its ranks, 

Decked with emblems Brilliant and Bright, 
Near the top I remember, were three Golden Links, 

The Heart and the Hand on the right; 
Near the top of the Flagstaff, three arrows were set, 

Above them a young Turtle Dove, 
Right under the Links in Letters of Gold, 

Was the Motto: "Truth, Friendship and Love." 

"God bless the Order," an old man said, 

Striving hard to keep pace with the ranks, 
"They cared for me, they Honored my dead, 

That have crossed over Jordan's Banks; 
When death laid its hand on my only son, 

Without asking, they came to attend, 
They said they had come under God's Command, 

As the Widow and Orphan's friend." 

"With fraternal care they carried him out, 

Down where the willows wave, 
With brotherly hands, they laid him away, 

Close by his mother's grave; 



52 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Don't think it strange that I honor 

These men of three Links, Heart and Hand, 

May the Order Prosper, Flourish and Grow, 
And the sound of the gavel reach every land." 

Stand firm by your Banners, Pure and White, 

Let no stains mar their beautiful folds, 
The truths we learn from our Rituals each night, 

Are more precious than Silver or Gold; 
In the Battle of Life we have trials and cares, 

Ah, who has not been by the tempest tossed? 
But if true to the motto, "In God we Trust," 

We'll get nearer and nearer the cross. 



FRIENDSHIP, LOVE AND TRUTH, 



"Friendship, Love and Truth" is the motto of 
our Order, an index to all its teachings, and all 
that is expected of those who bear the name and 
wear the badge of Odd Fellowship. It is a sort 
of epitome of all that is honest and lovely and of 
good report. In it we find that which brings man 
in cordial correspondence with his fellows, which 
draws him into the strongest fraternal relation 
and places him on the immutable principles of 
truth. Friendship, Love and Truth, a motto that 
comprehends the motive power to all kindly 
offices and high moral achievements, through 
which to develop the higher and better impulses 
in man; to make him forget that which is sordid 
and selfish, until it becomes a pleasure to have an 
open hand for the hungry, to give solace to the 
afflicted and the hand of fellowship to the lonely. 
It has ever been a rainbow of hope upon the 
shores of trouble and sorrow. The sentiments of 
David and Jonathan and of the good Samaritan, 
which are symbolized in the observance of this 
motto, are the sweetest and most beautiful which 
romance or inspiration has ever given for the light 
and guidance of man. If, in our souls, humanity 
has a dwelling place, we will find as much satis- 
faction in the smile which our kindness may 



54 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

bring to the face of some "Tiny Tim," or the 
thanks of some befriended orphan, or the conso- 
lations which our ministrations may have carried 
into the life of some stricken widow as ever man 
received from the wielding of scepters or the 
wearing of crowns, while the healing of the wound 
of some afflicted mother sends a richer thrill to 
our hearts and touches a deeper and truer fountain 
in our souls than all the bowing heads and pur- 
chased cheers that line the pathway of the mighty. 

Friendship. 

Without Friendship, one of the great designs 
of the Almighty in making man a social being, 
would lack fulfillment It would make earth a 
social waste; isolation and indifference to the 
happiness and well-being of others would be the 
result. By the influence of Friendship, man lives 
in the neighborhood of his fellows; by it we have 
the cordial greeting and the social gathering. 
Friendship is the shadow of the evening which 
strengthens with the setting sun of life. True 
Friendship anticipates the wants, appreciates the 
sorrows of the distressed and acts with prompt- 
ness and cheerfulness. It is open handed; it is 
typified in the hearty grasp of the full hand — not 
the fingers — it is manifest in writing "Brother" in 
full, instead of the abbreviation "Bro." 

Some men won't even lend an ear to mis- 
fortune, others are constituted that they cannot 
see the bright side of anything but a dollar. Still 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 55 

others hear, of distress and long to give advice. 
The friendship of an Odd Fellow is not purchas- 
able; it is the "friend in need who is a friend 
indeed." 

"Friendship is a plant of no hasty growth, 
Though planted in esteem's deep, fixed soil, 
The gradual culture of kind intercourse 
Must bring it to perfection." 

Love. 

Love is a divine principle, that is "sweeter 
than life and stronger than death." It is the all 
pervading spirit of the patriarchs and prophets; 
it too was beautifully illustrated in the lives of 
David and Jonathan, so pure and exalted were 
their attachments that no motives of worldly gain 
nor the wicked hatred of an envious king and 
father could dampen the ardor of mutual love nor 
break the covenant, made between them, founded 
in love. Love is the fundamental principle of 
life; it is the perennial spring from which we draw 
all our happiness. Love is life, it is civilization, 
it is everything. Faith, hope, love, these three; 
the greatest is love. 

Truth. 

Truth is always to be associated with friend- 
ship and love, and without which neither of the 
others could long subsist. Truth in principle and 
practice is prominent and leading in all that 
pertains to Odd Fellowship. By its heavenly 



56 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

influence, man is guided through the many bewil- 
dering crossways of this world amid the conflicting 
and changing opinions and designs of men, to the 
brightness of unclouded day. Truth is that 
cardinal virtue which deals with equity, in all the 
affairs of life. It is the opposite of disguise, 
prevarication, hypocrisy and concealment, and is 
a vital principle of every community which is well 
founded among men. Truth enables us to ascer- 
tain what virtue is and guides us into its personal 
possession. Truth, essentially the only foundation 
of confidence, and confidence is the only bond of 
association among the wise, the intelligent and the 
good. It mingles its unclouded perceptions of 
duty with the generous grasp of friendship and the 
sweet, sympathizing voice of love. The man of 
truth is as true to principle as the needle to the 
pole; honest not because of that miserable old 
adage, that "honesty is the best policy," but 
because it is right and characteristic of the just 
and the true and the noble. 



ODD FELLOWSHIP EXPOSED. 



You tell me that 'tis wrong to meet 
In secret conclave, and unite 

In solemn vows and forms replete 
With mystic words and ancient rite. 

I ask you, now, as honest men, 

To look with care this subject through, 
And if you see your error, then 

Let Fides be your goddess true. 

Can it be wrong to aid the weak? 

To lift the fallen, succor give? 
A brother's helpless widow seek 

And teach his orphans how to live? 

Your quiver full of arrows sharp, 
With bow of steel you hurl amiss, 

For care not we, if every dart 

Should fall on yonder side, or this. 

Your ire is not like Moses' wrath, 

When down the Holy Mount he came, 

And saw the worship of the calf 
That Aaron placed upon the plain. 



58 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

If in the old Mosaic days 

They scarlet wore, or white or blue, 
With jeweled breastplate all ablaze, 

It matters not to me or you. 

How old art thou, and hast not learned 
The serious charge the Master gave 

To men who all his teachings spurned, 
And thought to hide them in the grave. 

I fear that all these years, you passed 

Grand truths were hidden from your view, 

Yet trust that you may find at last 
Our bond of union good and true. 

Our secrets — let me now impart 
And tell me — do they ring of pelf? 

"Love God alone, with all thy heart 
And love thy neighbor as thyself." 



ON ADMISSION OF A NEW BROTHER. 



Brothers, attentive stand, 
While our most Worthy Grand 

Gives you the charge; 
The bond of society, 
In friendship and harmony, 
Honor and secrecy, 

Will us unite. 

Brothers, you've nought to fear, 
True honor's court is here, 

Love, mirth and joy; 
Loyalt} here abounds, 
Reason our evening crowns, 
While every voice resounds, 

Long live the Queen. 

O, Lord, our Order bless, 
That strives to make sin less, 

Ne'er let it fall; 
Its aims are glorious, 
Make it victorious, 
Ever watch over us, 

God save us all. 



ON THE CLOSE OF THE LODGE. 



God save our gracious Queen, 
Long live our noble Queen, 

God save the Queen. 
Send her victorious, 
Happy and glorious, 
Long to reign over us, 

God save the Queen. 

May she defend our laws, 
And ever give us cause, 
To sing with heart and voice, 
God save the Queen. 

When Britain first at Heaven's command, 

Arose from out the azure main, 
This was the charter, the charter of the land, 

And guardian angels sung the strain, 

Rule Brittania, etc. 



ON INTRODUCING A NOBLE GRAND. 



Hail, chief elect, Odd Fellow's pride, 
We hail thee welcome to the chair; 
May'st thou with honor preside, 

Promote our mirth and banish care. 
All Odd Fellows shall be then 
Blessed by God and loved by men. 

VICE. 

Our laws defend, our rights maintain, 

Preserve our fame and unity. 
Let mirth and order ever reign, 
Throughout our great community. 
All Odd Fellows shall be then 
Blessed by God and loved by men. 



ON A VISIT. 



Welcome, Odd Fellows all, 
This is true honor's hall, 

Where friendship's found. 
Here mirth and harmony, 
Honor and loyalty, 
Love and sincerity, 

Ever abound. 

ON DEPARTING. 

Brothers, we thank you all 
For this, your friendly call 

On us this night; 
Long may you happy be, 
In truth and sincerity, 
Love and fidelity, 
Ever unite. 

All Odd Fellows shall be then 
Blessed by God and loved by men. 



THE HEART IN HAND. 

ATLANTA "CONSTITUTION.'" 



When a man ain't got a cent an' he's feeling kind 

o' blue, 
An' the clouds hang dark an' heavy an' won't let 

the sunshine through, 
It's a great thing, oh, my brethren, for a feller 

just to lay 
His hand upon your shoulder in a friendly sort 

o' way. 

It makes a man feel curious; it makes the tear 

drops start, 
An' you sort o' feel a flutter in the region o' the 

heart; 
You look up an' meet his eyes; you don't know 

what to say, 
When his hand is on your shoulder in a friendly 

sort o' way. 

Oh, the world's a crimson compound with its 

honey and its gall; 
With its cares and bitter crosses; but a good 

world after all, 
And a good God must have made it — least w r ays 

that's what I say, 
When a hand rests on my shoulder in a friendly 

sort o' way. 



64 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 
H. F. D., OF No. 63. 

When he starts out in the mornin' an' the sun is 

shining bright. 
Thinking now if some kind brother would make 

his heart feel light, 
I will do something for him if a moment he can 

stay — 
With my hand upon his shoulder in a friendly 

sort o' way. 

Thank God the tide is turning, I have tried to do 

my part; 
But when the clouds were darkest my wife would 

cheer my heart, 
By saying: "Live and hope now, for we will 

have our day!" — 
With her hand upon my shoulder in a friendly 

sort o' way. 

Now if we only would begin an' take an active 

part, 
And provide for others' welfare with a light and 

cheerful heart — 
Work heart an' hand together, an' do it ev'ry 

day, 
With your hand on some one's shoulder in a 

friendly sort o' way. 



WHICH DO YOU BELONG TO? 

BY THOS. R. THOMPSON. 



SNAPDRAGON LODGE No. 2. 

Discord, envy, strife; 

Jaw, jaw, jaw ! 
War unto the knife; 

Law, law, law ! 

A gavel broke in twain, 
An angry word and scowl; 

Tumult is rife — 

Bickering and strife — 

Howl, howl, howl ! 
Personal malice and spite — 
Points of Order and Law, 
Carried far into the night, 

Jaw, jaw, jaw ! 

Calling to order and crys of "shame!" 
A dreadful tumult, yet none to blame; 
Simple questions are twisted and turned — 
The truth and right by the angry spurned. 
The newly admitted sitting there, 
His face the picture of blank despair. 



66 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS, 

Alas, for teachings of Christ above 
Alas, for the bonds of brotherly love! 

The union of hands, 

The union of hearts, 
The kindred feeling which never parts; 

Nothing but envy 

Nothing but strife 
Alas, for the lease oi the Lodge's life! 
For the hands of the clock are fast going the 

round, 
And no time for the "Good of the Order" is 



PRIMROSE LODGE No. I*. 

It is eight by the clock, and the members are there; 
The regalias hang on each Officer's chair; 
And to order the Lodge is immediately called 
By the Noble Grand, newly-installed. 

By her side the Supporters have taken their 

places, 
While smiles of contentment beam forth from all 

faces; 
And their duty each Officer carefully reads, 
And the business in regular order proceeds. 

The new candidates then are admitted, and find 
Such a lot oi sweet faces, they feel quite resigned, 
And rejoice to behold such a cheerful, bright band, 
As they stand there united in heart and in hand. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 67 

All the business was over, an hour remained, 
And the members were anxious to be entertained. 
Says the Noble Grand, "We've plenty of time, 
So get ready your music, your speeches, and 
rhyme." 

Then the members came forward, fine speeches 

were made, 
The new members for coming felt well repaid, 
While the sisters to music sang many a song, 
And the brothers in chorus joined hearty and 

strong. 

'Twas the "Good of the Order" — the time was 

well used; 
Not a brother or sister got up and refused; 
But they all did their utmost each other to cheer; 
May each Lodge do the same every week in the 

year. 



THE SICK MAN'S DREAM. 



BY REV. R. B. HALLOCK. 



The wintry wind sighed through the naked tree; 

My couch was lighted by the moon's pale Beam ; 
The starlight glistened o'er the snow-clad lea; 

"I had a dream, — it was not all a dream." 

Strong roseate Health had laid him down, and slept, 
And meek Content lay snugly in his bed; 

Pale, wan Despair his midnight vigils kept, 
And fitful Guilt new pangs of horror bred. 

A giant form in dark and fearful mood, 
With hand upraised, and penetrating eye, 

Upon my struggling, panting bosom stood, 

And sternly said, "To-morrow thou shalt die." 

My laboring frame contended with its might 
And strove to keep within its vital breath; 

My swollen eyes refused their wonted sight: 
"Tell me, my soul," cried I, "can this be death?" 

My tender wife looked on me all her soul, 
And pressed my little cherub to her heart; 

Can prayers and tears the tyrant Death control? 
Can mortals 'scape the keenness of his dart? 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 69 

Ere my last breath had mingled with the air, 
And life had perished 'neath the monster's tread, 

Behold, a comely Nymph, divinely fair, 
Stole soft as morning's dawn, close to my bed! 

"I come," said she, "not to destroy the foe. 

Or change high heaven's immutable decree; 
For who but God, or all above, below, 

From sin and death can set the captive free? 

"I soothe and comfort him I cannot save 

From death, that comes in flood, and war, and 
flame; 

I twine the laureled emblem round his grave; 
I dwell with Virtue, Friendship is my name." 



Methought the lovely nymph had scarcely said 
Her words of kindness in my listless ear, 

A grateful charm they o'er my spirit spread, 
And quelled the rage of each corroding fear. 

I yearned with agony my thanks to pay 
To the fair maiden, ere away she sped. 

When a bright vestal, clad in white array, 

Stood side by side with Friendship near my bed. 

Though the thick mists ot death had dimmed 
mine eyes, 

And dire disease forbade my tongue to move, 
I knew she was an angel from the skies; 

Among the sons of earth, her name is Love. 



70 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

But not alone she came in robes of light; 

There stood beside her an immortal youth 
Who sits enshrined in everlasting right, 

To vindicate to man the name of Truth ! 

Then I awoke, and blessed the waking hour, 
Resolved, what'er my destined lot might be, 

To gain from "Friendship, Love and Truth" the 
power 
To mount on wings of Faith, oh God, to thee! 



THE ODD FELLOWS BURIAL. 

BY CHARLES N. HICKOK, P. G. K. 



One day into our quiet village came 
A pale, wayfaring man. Weary, and worn 
And sick he seemed, to those who saw him pass. 
As to the rustic inn. beside our single street. 
He turned his faltering steps. 

Twas summer eve; 
The setting sun had hid his face behind 
The western slope, and gathering shades of night 
Were hovering o'er the earth; and chilly dews 
Were falling on the grass, as on the porch 
The stranger paused, and, throwing up his hand. 
As though to make some plea for help, his lips 
Were powerless to speak, exhausted sank 
On the rude bench that stood along the wall. 

The tired neighbors, who, at even-tide. 
Are wont to congregate at inn or store, 
After the labors of the day. to rest, or smoke. 
Or chat of village gossip, or discuss. 
Perchance, the country's news; were loitering in 
And gathered round the fainting youth (for such 
He was), with pity in their eyes, and words 
Of sympathy upon their lips. 



72 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

The host, 
A rude, uncultured man, but with a heart 
Big as his own huge form, and tender as 
A woman's, raised him up as tho' he were 
A babe, and bore him in his brawny arms 
Into an inner room, and laid him on 
A bed; then sought, with haste, to bring relief. 

Like a limp corpse, the stranger lay so long, 
They deemed him dead. At length his eyes 

unclosed, 
But from their orbs the ray of consciousness 
Was gone, and, in its stead, gleamed only forth 
The unearthly light of wild delirium. 

The burning heat of fever gathered on 
His pallid cheeks, and scorched his brain, and sent 
The life-tide raging madly through his veins; 
And all night long, with superhuman strength, 
He raved, and tossed, and struggled hard against 
The friendly hands that held him on his couch. 

They noticed, mid his ravings, that, at times, 
His thoughts were wandering home, and on his lips 
The name of father, mother, wife, were joined; 
As if he held, in fancy, converse sweet, 
With loved ones by his side. And, with his words 
To them, were others still, of strange import, 
At which some of the watchers marveled, but 
Not all. The host unceasingly he called 
His Brother (so he was), and piteously 
Pleaded with him, by all his plighted vows, 
For aid and rescue from some danger great, 



POEMS ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS, 78 

Or sore perplexity, And then he talked 
(Strange sounding words) cd' "Friendship, Love 

and Truth." 
Ami then, anon, ho scorned himself to be 
Upon some errand merciful; all in 
Obedience to some owned behest 
To visit and relieve some one distressed. 
The weary night was passed, and, at dawn 
It spread abroad through every village home, 
That, at the Inn, a Brother oi the "triple tie" 
Lay sick and destitute. And ere had passed 
rhe morning's meal, a score o( warm, and true 
Ami Loving hearts, had gathered anxious round 
The sick man's bed; each read)' to supply, 
To him, the lack of father, brother, friend. 

They needed not to ask what way he came 
Of dark vicissitude. To them, it was 
Enough to know he was a Brother, and 

In want oi Brother's sympathy ami aid. 

They found, upon his person, ample proofs 
Of his identity and name; and ere 
The sun had dried the dew away from leaf 
And blade, the news had reached, on lightning's 

wing, 
His far, far distant home, that he was sick 
And in a Brother's care; and stricken hearts 
Were solaced in their grief; for well they knew 
That all that Brother's hands could do, or hearts 
Devise, of tender ministration, would be his, 
Their cherished one, e'en in a stranger's land. 



74 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Nine weary nights and days the sufferer lay, 
With fevered brain; and reason all dethroned. 
And wrestling oft with wild imaginings; 
And agonies most dire and pitiful. 

At length, one morn, 
The crisis feared, yet hoped for, came, when the 
Consuming fire that racked his frame was quenched ; 
And his wild raving gradually gave place 
To low and gentle murmurings, until 
At last, he into slumber sank, so deep, 
So calm and silent, that it seemed a sleep 
Of death. The faithful watchers moved about 
With muffled tread, and fingers warningly 
Upraised, as anxious passers-by tarried 
Inquiringly at the open window. All 
Was so still, the ticking of the watch, on 
Which the doctor's eye was fixed, as with his 
Finger on the sleeper's wrist, he marked 
Each feeble pulse, was heard throughout the room : 
For well they knew that life or death hung on 
The moment of his waking. 

The lengthened 
Hours passed on, and still he slept. At last 
They say, as waned the early afternoon, 
His eyes unclosed; not with a start of pain, 
Nor fevered gleam; but calm, intelligent, 
And clear; yet with a look, speaking surprise 
That, in a moment more, gave place to one 
Of deep anxiety. The doctor saw, 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 75 

And understood the questioning appeal, 

And hasted to reply. He also saw, 

What the sick man instinctive knew, that he 

Was dying. Gently he told him where he was, 

And how it chanced that he was there, — how he 

Had fallen at a Brother's door, who saw 

And understood his signal, and rejoiced 

To recognize his claim, — how, through the days 

And nights of his delirium, his couch 

Had guarded been, by those who loved him for 

The bonds which linked his heart to theirs as one. 

How tidings to his friends had gone, who now 

Were on the way, expected every hour. 

"Oh! will they come?" he whispered, "can it be 
That I shall see them ere I die — my wife, 
My darling wife; my mother, father; will, 
Oh! will they come? God bless you, Brothers true, 
For all your care. Oh! will they come? If not, 
Tell them I thought to find, for them and me, 
A better home than the old cottage by 
The sea. An earthly home, I thought, but God 
Knows best. His will be done; His holy will 
Be done. Tell them; and Brothers, Brothers, don't 
Forget, there is a better home prepared 
For all who love the Master. I have loved 
Him long; He is my Lord — the crucified; 
And where He is, there, there will be my home; 
I will await them there; they know the way; 
And Brothers, Brothers, don't forget to come. 



76 POEMS ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Again he blessed them with his failing breath; 
Then closed his eyes and lay so still they thought 
His spirit had departed. 

Presently 
There fell upon the ear the distant sound 
Of wheels and horses' tread, driven, it seemed, 
In hurried speed along the village street; 
And, coming nearer, halted at the door. 

The watchers scarce had time to turn their eyes 
From off the couch of death, when they beheld 
A woman, young and fair; so young they thought 
Her but a child; coming with frenzied haste 
Into the chamber. With one bewildered glance 
At the sad, anxious faces gathered there, 
She threw herself, with wild and bitter wail, 
Upon her knees beside the dying man; 
And passionately kissed the cheek and brow, 
On which the dews of dissolution hung. 

She was the wife; and, following feebly, came 
The aged, white-haired sire, supporting on 
His trembling arm his frail companion, she, 
The mother of his only child — his boy; 
The last of all the precious flock, that once 
Had blessed their home; he whom the parents 

hoped 
Would live to be the solace of their age. 

The Brothers reverently moved away 
From round the bed; and stood with throbbing 
hearts 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 77 

And tearful eyes, compassionately turned 
Upon the broken-hearted, weeping group, 
Pleading so piteous, with endearing words, 
That the pale sleeper might awake and give 
One look of love, and speak to them once more. 

As it hath sometime happened that the grief 
Of friends hath won departing spirits back, 
E'en from the confines of the ghostly world, 
For a brief season; so the veiled orbs 
They thought forever sealed, unclosed, and e'en 
A glow of joyful recognition came. 
A look of yearning, fondest love he turned 
Upon the faces bending o'er his own; 
Then, for a moment, glanced his wishful eyes 
Toward the faithful-hearted Brother band; 
A glance that tokened endless gratitude, 
And also seemed to say to them: "I leave 
My precious treasures in your loving care." 
Again he fixed his earnest, straining gaze 
Into the eyes that mirrored back his own 
Mute, longing look of love — a look that bore 
The meaning of ten thousand uttered words 
Of tenderest endearment. Then the flush 
Of mantling color faded from his cheek; 
Words vainly struggled on his parting lips; 
But, in their stead, a bright, unearthly smile, 
That spoke of sweet content and perfect peace; 
Spreading like sunlight o'er his beaming face, 
An instant lingered there, and, he was dead. 



78 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Our eye may not intrude with curious gaze, 
Behind the veil that hides from its ken 
That chamber of bereavement. Pen nor tongue 
Hath power to portray that which no words 
Are formed to express — unutterable woe. 

The Brothers have withdrawn, and only there, 
The stricken father, mother, and the wife, 
Are with their dead, their sorrow, and their God. 

It was the sweetest of our summer days 
That blessed our mountain home. The sky was 

clear; 
The sun shone bright as though a shade of mist 
Had ne'r obscured his golden rays. Serene 
And genial was the air, and balmy with 
The odors of a myriad blooms. Such time 
Was fitting season for the tried and true 
To come, with tokens of their trustful hope, 
And bear their comrade to a peaceful rest. 

They gathered in from the country round, 
A hundred men and more, the old and young; 
All linked together in a common bond — 
The vow to rescue, cherish and befriend. 
Not with pretentious pomp or heraldry, 
Nor sheen of waving plume nor clang of arms, 
Nor martial strains befitting only war; 
But in the guise of peace and garb of love 
They came, and with fraternal hands they raised 
The dead, and bore him out and laid him down 
In their "God's acre," on the green hill-side. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. .'9 

And when the surpliced priest, the man of God, 
With words of kindly sympathy and cheer 
To the heart broken mourners, had consigned, 
With church's blessed words, the "Earth to earth; 
Ashes to ashes; dust to dust; to sleep 
In peace until the resurrection morn;" 
The Brothers stood uncovered, round the grave, 
Hand joined in hand, in token of their troth, 
And listened to their Order's touching rites; 
Then reverently dropped upon the coffin lid 
Their simple evergreen, the pledge and sign 
Of their remembrance of the dead — their hope 
Of blest re-union 'yond this mortal scene; 
Then turned away with many a falling tear. 

Funereal honor nobler than a king's, 
Was this, the young Odd Fellow's burial. 



SOLILOQUY OF CYRUS CUTE; OR, THE 
COUNTRY NOBLE GRAND. 



BY W. B. GWATHMEY. 



Once I tho't that I was cunnin', 

(Not because my name 's Cute), 
But I tho't I'd try the runnin' 

Of our three-linked institute; 
So at the Meetin' in the quarter, 

When some brother had ter stand, 
I explained I tho't they auter 

PuJ: me up for Noble Grand. 

And by way of 'commidation, 

From my brothers (just for fun), 
I was put in nomination 

Gin a a brother fer to run. 
At the meetin^ fer election, 

All the brothers come that night, 
And accordin' to expection 

I was 'lected out of sight. 

How I swelled up with emotion 

When the 'ritin' brother 'rote 
That the lodge had passed a motion 

Fer a You — Nan — I — Mus — Vote, 
Yet I'm feered I sorter stumbled 

Beein' 'scorted to the chair, 
And I know I meekly mumbled 

Through the charges given there. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 81 

And I took the chair, uncertain 

Just what next I orter do, 
So I quickly yanked the curtain, 

Shuttin' out the lodge from view. 
Then I writ the names selected 

Fer ter fill the term in chairs, 
But with feelin's most dejected 

I heerd foot-steps on the stairs. 

Follered by the signal tappin', 

An' the I. G. shouted out, 
"Noble Gran', there's some one rappin'/' 

Answers I, "Beyond a doubt." 
"Noble Gran', shall I admit him?" 

(I could see the guard was hot) 
So I tho't I best permit him 

But I goodeel ruther not. 

So he opened wide the portal 

While the visitor walked in, 
And you never saw a mortal 

Filled as I was, with chagrin. 
Fer he give the sign an' mosion, 

But thrugh meekness, I confess, 
I had sorter got the notion 

I must answer with distress. 

Then the stranger paused in wonder; 

When he turned agin to me, 
Fer I swear to you, by thunder, 

I answered in the fust degree, 



82 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

And he stood there, sorter starin', 
Waitin' fer the answer right, 

And I spoke up over barrin', 

"Won't you take a chair ter night." 

Then I banged my wooden mallet 

On the table with a bust, 
Thinkin' I would close the meetin' 

And re-opened in the fust. 
There was not a brother standin' 

On their feet, exceptin' me. 
As I spoke up (quite commandin'), 

"Warden, close the third degree." 

But the Warden (lookin' foolish), 

Never budged nor said a word, 
I sot down and madly whispered, 

"Right supporter! close the third." 
So he grabbed my little mallet 

And he fetched J em, don't yer see? 
All the brothers rize a standin', 

Every one, exceptin' me. 

Then I asked the outside gurdeon 

If a brother was in wait; 
He said yes. I sent a brother 

Ter receive the kandydate. 
But of all the mixed up messes 

That ere fell to mortal man, 
I was in it, from the minut 

That the Secret Work began. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 83 

Fer I had forgot the maken 

Of the signals, signs and sich, 
While my brain I kept a raken 

To tell th'other from the which. 
So they led the brother from me, 

And the Vice Gran' tuck my place, 
Deep disgust, I also noticed 

Writ upon each brother's face. 

And the Vice Gran' closed the bizness, 

Jest as easy as could be, 
Called exkuse of absent officers, 

All the brothers looked at me, 
But I quickly caught his meenin, 

And my anger held confined, 
Addressed myself as "Noble Grand," 

And made myself say "I've resigned." 

Then they had to 'lect another 

To the chair of Noble Grand, 
But this time they got a brother 

With more fraternal sense than sand, 
And, as I sung the closin' hymn, 

I was full of joy, "you bet," 
Fer my head had lost its swim, 

But I was ringin wet with sweat. 



Brethren and Sisters: 

This is an interesting age in which we live 
and each one of us is an integral part of the great 
human family. Life imposes certain duties upon 
us, as individuals and communities, and as good 
citizens it is incumbent upon us to faithfully 
discharge the same. In addition to the duties 
and obligations imposed upon all, by the common 
conditions and environments of life, we who are 
members of this great fraternity, have assumed 
certain special and specific duties, which we have 
most solemnly obligated ourselves to perform. 

I, therefore, ask your indulgence for a short 
time, while I discuss some phases of our work, as 
a fraternity, and suggest some things which I think 
necessary to harmony and success in our Order. 

The three "talismanic words" of our Order are: 

"Friendship, Love and Truth." 

These beautiful links form the "golden chain" 
that binds us together as members of our beloved 
Order. How beautiful and how significant are 
these words. Pure and disinterested friendship is 
not always found among men. It is of divine 
origin; its work sublime and the results grand and 
glorious. The world is flooded with base counter- 
feits, so perfectly veneered with what appears to 
be the true metal, that often time alone can 
detect the deceitfulness of untrue friends. Deceit 
is a propensity deeply rooted in the human heart. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 85 

"The heart is deceitful above all things; 
who can know it?" 

A true friendship is an exotic rare, that grows 

and blooms in the valleys and on the hilltops of 

life, in all seasons and in every clime. On the icy 

wastes of Siberia, or under the cerulean blue of an 

Italian sky, a true friendship is the same perpetual 

bloomer, whose fragrance brings joy to the heart. 

In this selfish world, true friendship is seldom 

found, yet it is often assumed for mercenary ends. 

Pretended friends abound, who will stand by you 

when the sun of prosperity shines upon you, but 

when the stormy days come and the shadows of 

adversity fall athwart your pathway, they forsake 

you and know you no more. Even in our 

fraternal life, I am sorry to say, we meet with 

those who have apparently assumed the role of 

friend or brother, solely for paltry gain. 

The second link in this "golden chain" is 

love, that divine principle which emanates from 

God, who is the source of all true love. 

A true fraternal love begets a true friendship 

and makes us an unselfish band of brethren and 

sisters, ready to do and to dare for the right. It 

makes us strong in our purposes and convictions, 

slow to anger and true to our friends. Love is 

that holy principle which makes memory sweet 

and home beautiful. It is the sunlight of our 

earliest experience and grows dim when the 

shadows of death fall upon us, only to be renewed 

in fuller splendor and brightness on the sunny 

plains of the "better land." 



86 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

The third link in this mystic and symbolic 
chain, is truth. 

God is the author of truth and there is no 
higher or greater virtue among men. The tiny 
dewdrop upon the blade of grass in the night, has 
in its bosom a sleeping star, so in every message 
from heaven there is a shining truth. 

Let us seek the truth and abide by it in all 
things. Truth is the standard by which all things 
must be adjusted in this world. Divesting our- 
selves of all partiality, passion and prejudice, we 
should honestly appeal to truth as the just arbiter 
of all things. Truth is the perception and the 
representation of things as they really are. 

It is said the ancient Persians instructed their 
children in but three things, viz.: To manage a 
horse, to shoot dextrously with the bow, and to 
tell the truth, thus showing the importance they 
attached to this great virtue. 

Do we, as members of this great fraternity, 
live the lives we profess? Do we allow the spirit 
and genius of the words, "Friendship, Love and 
Truth," to guide us in our fraternal life? Too 
often do we allow an excess of zeal, or jealousies, 
to betray us into harsh words and hasty actions, 
which tend to disturb and endanger the peace 
and harmony of our Lodge. Then let us live the 
lives we profess. Let us live up to the full 
measure of our obligations and then, indeed, will 
we exhibit to the world the full measure of fra- 
ternal life. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 87 

"Friendship, Love and Truth." These talis- 
manic words," which form my text, are full of 
meaning, and if we are true to their spirit and 
true to our obligations, we may do much, in our 
day and generation, to fill the earth with those 
sacred influences which will some day bring back 
the lost and faded bloom of Eden and cast a 
halcyon halo over the dreary wastes of life. 

"An Odd Fellow is a noble animal; splendid 
in ashes; glorious in the grave. Solemnizing 
nativities and funerals with equal luster, and not 
forgetting ceremonies of bravery in the infamy of 
his nature." 

Thus spake one who mocked while he wept 
at our estate, and gracefully tempted the high 
scoffings of plutocracy with a profound compas- 
sion of philanthropy. "As the sun's proudest 
moment is his latest, and as the forest puts on its 
brightest robes to die in, so does the Odd Fellow 
summon ostentation to invest the hour of his 
weakness, and pride survives when power has 
departed." And what, we may ask, does this 
instinctive contempt for the honors of the dead 
proclaim, except the utter vanity of the glories of 
the living? For me. vain, indeed, must be our 
real state, and false the vast assumption of our 
lives, when the poorest pageantry of a decent 
burial strikes upon the heart as but a mockery of 
helplessness. 

Certain it is that pomp chiefly waits upon the 
beginning and the end of life. What lies between, 



88 POEMS— ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

may either raise a sigh or wake a laugh. For it 
mostly partakes of the littleness of the one and 
the sadness of the other. Our monuments of 
blessedness and of wretchedness lie side by side. 
We cannot look for the one without discovering 
the other. The echo of joy is the moan of 
despair, and the cry of anguish is stifled with 
rejoicing. To make a monarch, there must be 
slaves, and that one may triumph, many must be 
weak. 

To one limiting this belief within the bounds 
of his own observation and reasoning, but from 
what he knows, our condition presents mysteries 
which thought cannot explain. Our dignity and 
destiny seem utterly at variance. We turn from 
contemplating some monument of genius, to 
inquire for the genius which produced it, and find, 
that while the work has survived, the workman 
who produced it has vanished from the earth 
forever. 

An Odd Fellow can immortalize all things 
but himself. But for my own part, I cannot help 
thinking that it is our high estimation of ourselves 
that is the grand error in our account. Surely, it 
is argued, a creature so ingeniously fashioned and 
so bountifully furnished, has not been created but 
for lofty ends. 

But cast your eye on the humblest rose of 
the garden, and it may teach a wiser lesson. 
There you behold contrivance and ornament; in 
every leaf the finest veins, and a delicate odor, 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. Q\) 

and a perfume exquisite beyond imitation. Yet 
all this is but a toy; a plaything of nature. And 
surely, she whose resources are so boundless that 
upon the God of a summer's day can throw away 
such lavish wealth, steps not beyond her common- 
est toil when she forms of the dust a living Odd 
Fellow. When will we learn the lesson of our 
own significance? 

Immortal Odd Fellow, thy blood flows freely 
and fully, and thou standest a Napoleon. Thou 
reclinest a Shakespeare. It retards its action but 
a little, and thou crawlest, a crouching, soulless 
mass. The bright world a blank, dead vision to 
thy eye. Verily, oh, Odd Fellow, thou art a 
glorious and God-like being. 

Tell life's proudest tales — what are they? A 
few attempted successes. A few crushed and 
mouldered hopes. Much paltry fretting. A little 
sleep, and the story is concluded. The curtain 
falls, and the farce is over. The world is not a 
place to live in, but to die in. It is a house that 
has but two chambers — a lazar and a charnel. 
Room only for the dying and the dead. 

I tell you, my Brothers, there is not a spot 
on the broad earth, on which we may plant our 
foot and affirm, with confidence, no mortal sleeps 
beneath. Seeing then, that these things are, what 
shall we say? Shall we exclaim with the gay- 
hearted Grecian, "Drink to-day, for to-morrow we 
are not"? Shall we calmly float down the current, 
smiling if we can, silent when we must? Lulling 



90 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

care to sleep by the gentle enjoyment, and passing 
dream-like through a land of dreams? 

No! Dream-like as is our life, there is in it 
one reality — our Duty. Let us cling to that, and 
distress may overwhelm, but cannot disturb us; 
may destroy, but cannot hurt us, as then the 
bitterness of earthly things, and the shortness of 
earthly life will cease to be evils and begin to be 
blessings. 




FRIENDSHIP— WHAT IS IT? 

BY DAVID E. BURNS. 



It is not a vision that glideth away, 
It is not a sunbeam that fades with the day. 
'Tis faithful, 'tis patient, 'tis cautious, 'tis wise, 
'Tis honest in all things and scorns all disguise. 
It paints ever\- virtue and hides all defects, 
It pardons all errors, o'erlooks all neglects. 
Unselfish, most noble, most generous, most just, 
Believing, confiding, delighting to trust. 
Deep, tender in feeling, in sympathy strong. 
Unbiased b\ motive, a proof against wrong. 
Most ardent, most active, in trial and need, 
True, earnest, transparent in thought, word and 

deed. 
A stranger to flattery, falsehood and art. 
Its destiny heaven, its earth home, the heart. 
It is not a shadow, a vapor, a breath, 
It is wholly immortal and cannot know death. 



A STERLING OLD POEM. 



Who shall judge a man by his manners? 

Who shall know him by his dress? 
Paupers may be fit for princes,— 

Princes fit for something less. 
Crumpled shirt and dirty jacket 

May beclothe the golden ore 
Of the deepest thoughts and feelings — 

Satin vest can do no more. 

There are streams of crystal nectar 

Ever Mowing out of stone; 
There are purple beds and golden, 

Hidden, crushed and overthrown. 
God, who comes by soul, not dresses, 

Loves and prospers you and me, 
While he values throne the highest 

But as pebbles in the sea. 

Man upraised above his fellows, 

Oft forgets his fellows then; 
Masters rulers lords, remember 

That your meanest kinds are men! 
Men of labor, men of feeling, 

Men of thought and men of tame, 
Claiming equal rights to sunshine 

In man's ennobling name. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 93 

Here are foam-embroidered oceans; 

There are little, wood-clad rills; 
There are feeble, inch-high saplings; 

There are cedars on the hills. 
God, who counts by souls, not stations, 

Moves and prospers you and me; 
For him all vain distinctions 

Are as pebbles in the sea 

Toiling hands alone are builders 

Of a nation's wealth and fame; 
Stilted laziness is pensioned, 

Fed and fattened on the same, 
By the sweat of other's foreheads, 

Living only to rejoice; 
While the poor man, on ragged freedom, 

Vainly lifts his feeble voice. 

Truth and justice are eternal, 

Born with lovliness and light; 
Secret wrongs shall never prosper 

While there is a sunny right. 
God, whose world-wide voice is singing 

Boundless love to you and me, 
Links oppression with His titles 

As but pebbles in the sea. 



TIMMY JOINS THE LODGE. 



Well, Katy, at last I'm a member 

Of the lodge that I wanted to jine; 
I know ivery one of their saycrets. 

The nasheashun, I tell you, was foine. 
The first time I wint, ye remimber, 

I came home in a terrible plight, 
Vowing vingeance 'gainst iv'ry lodge member 

Who used me so badly that night. 

But the boys come 'round an' they told me 

Them tricks was only for jokes, 
An' I'd have a chance to get even 

Helping play them on some other folks. 
So I went to another mating, 

An' they met me so kind at the door, 
An' didn't misuse me and fool me 

In the manner they used me before. 

They marched me round to the altar, 

Where all the members could see, 
An' a man with a fine robe said loudly: 

"Give your name and repate after me." 
I spoke up very plain an' distinctly, 

"Give your name an' repate after me." 
Though I noticed the members all smiling, 

Divil a bit of fun could I see. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 95 

"Give your name and repate after me, sir," 

Said the man, an' he stamped on the floor, 
An' quickly I answered as loudly, 

"Bejabbers, I said that before." 
Then he read me the rest of the pledges, 

Which I never will dare to repate; 
For they tould me the one who proved traitor, 

Would meet with a terrible fate. 

An' they give me the signs an' the passwords, 

I don't remember what some were about; 
But one was distress — if in trouble, 

The members will quick bail me out. 
An' now that I'm made full mimber, 

Ye nadn't sthay up after ten, 
For when I am out till morning, 

Ye may know to the matin' I've been. 



FRIENDSHIP, LOVE AND TRUTH. 

BY GEO. H. CHANCE. 



How false that thing called Friendship, 

When in its name we find 
A craven heart to lure us, 

With heartless hand to bind. 

But real indeed that Friendship, 

If with the name we find 
The heart in hand to greet us, 

With pressure warm and kind. 

Then how weak and helpless Love, 
When 'tis slavish, self-confined, 

Never free to act, bound down 
As do jailers culprits bind. 

But how strong unselfish Love, 
Ever gentle, good and kind; 

Not bound, but in action free, 
And from selfish dross refined. 

So 'tis sad misuse of Truth, 
A brother's name to tarnish, 

When with falsehood underneath 
We use the truth as varnish. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Never so should Truth be used; 

Ave. for justice and the right; 
Never lie to cover up — 

Rather bring the wrong to light. 

Let us then in Friendship's name. 
Manifest unselfish Love, 

Using Truth to right the wrong. 

Fitting us for Lodge above. 

» 
Thus shall we our motto prove; 

Helping age, protecting youth. 
Making melody on earth — 

Linking Friendship. Love and Truth 



LINES TO A SKELETON. 



Behold this ruin! 'Twas a skull, 
Once of etherial spirit full; 
This narrow cell was life's retreat, 
This space was thought's mysterious seat. 
What beauteous visions filled this spot! 
What dreams of pleasure long forgot! 
Nor hope nor pleasure; joy nor fear, 
Has left one trace of record here. 

Beneath this mouldering canopy 

Once shown the bright and busy eye; 

But start not at the dismal void — 

If social love that eye employed, 

If with no lawless fire it gleamed, 

But through the dues of kindness beamed, 

That eye shall be forever bright 

When stars and suns are sunk in night. 

Within this hollow cavern hung 

The ready, swift and tuneful tongue; 

A falsehood's honey is disdained, 

And where it could not praise was chained 

If bold in virtue's cause it spoke, 

Yet gentle concord never broke; 

This silent tongue shall plead for thee 

When time unveils eternity. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 99 

Say, did these fingers delve the mine! 
Or with its envied rubies shine; 
To hew the rock, or wear the gem, 
Can little now avail to them. 
But if the path of truth they sought, 
Or comfort to the mourner brought, 
These hands a richer meed shall claim 
Than all that waits on wealth or fame. 

Avails it whether bare or shod 
These feet the paths of duty trod; 
If from the bowers of ease they fled, 
To seek affliction's humble bed; 
If grandeur's guilty bribe they spurned, 
And home to virtue's cot returned, 
These feet with angel's wings shall vie, 
And tread the palace of the sky. 



A BUILDING FORMED BY THE WORKS 
OF THE ORDER. 



This building is built with mortal rocks. 

Its corner stones are hearts 
That keep for ages with its locks, 

And secrets ne'er imparts. 

Its members are its pillars strong, 
Which form its walls so grand; 

Its roof, the works which crown the throng, 
For ages it shall stand. 

The light that shine its windows are; 

Their pathway in the door, 
Which gives a welcome from afar 

To brothers this world o'er. 

Its dome, the Golden Rule that shines 

To light them on the way; 
The spire that points to things divine, 

The by-laws holding sway. 

The weather vane that points the way, 

Are obligation's scrolls; 
The bell that rings each gathering day, 

The Gavel as it falls. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 101 

Its chairs, the offices that won 

And filled with brothers true; 
Its altars, where with pledges done 

Are sacred as the dew. 

Its choir, the chanting odes that sung 

By silver heads and youth; 
With chandeliers with prisms hung, 

Are Friendship, Love and Truth. 

Its stairs that lead to rooms above, 

Degrees along the way; 
Its Ante-rooms through which they rove, 

Are passwords all O. K. 

The draperies of their mansion fair, 

Are colors that are bold. 
'Tis decked with red and purple rare 

And links of purest gold. 

The key that locks this building fast, 

The grip by brothers given, 
Will ne'er be broke but always last 

For the Grand Lodge in heaven. 



JUDGE NOT. 

BY BROTHER BARNES. 



And was that all the holy man 

Saw as he looked around? 
And how he came immaculate, 

On such polluted ground? 
Did he not see Christian and Jew, 

And men of every creed, 
Upon a common platform meet, 

To succor those in need? 

Did he not see in harmony, 

Leaders in church and state, 
With minor differences laid aside, 

In friendly tete-a-tete? 
Did he not mark the absence there 

Of all the petty strife 
That in the world so often mars 

A man's uncertain life? 

Did he not hear the truth declared, 

"No sect or church, 
But a friendly band, linked heart and hand, 

Bound in fraternity?" 
Did he not see the Baptist there, 

Episcopalian true, 
The Presbyterian, Orthodox, 

Yes, and the Methodist too? 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 103 

Does he not know within a lodge, 

Each brother's heart's his own; 
And no one dares to write the prayers 

For others to the throne? 
A great, all-wise Omnipotence 

Is recognized by all; 
Beyond this each one for himself 

Must either stand or fall. 

Odd Fellowship is of the earth, 

Claims not to be divine - 
In either origin or works, 

But benefits mankind. 
A band of brothers laboring for 

The welfare of each other, 
Relieving sorrow, watching o'er 

The orphan and its mother. 

He says a Christian man is asked 

To learn our secret art, 
Who said, "No, no, I'll not go in, 

For Jesus has no part." 
We're told, too, of the traveler worn, — 

Unaided turned away; 
Because he'd not the grip or sign, 

We'd not his grief allay. 

And then this holy man exults 

That in the last great day, 
Thousands of mystic brethren shall, 

Rebuked, be sent away. 



104 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

No Christian love marks his last verse, 

His pen is dipped in gall, 
His soul seems watching for the day 

That shall engulf us all. 

He's not the first, nor will he be the last, 

To tangle up his brain, 
In comprehending charity 

With its attending train. 
Some souls can never understand 

Beyond a one idea, 
But come with us and you will find 

No interference here. 

Of every faith you here will meet 

Brothers to suit your mind; 
And others, too, differing with you, 

Will greet you, true and kind. 
They'll ask you not what is your creed, 

Or what ticket you vote, 
Or whether you till the soil for bread, 

Or wear a Judge's coat. 

You'll find Divines, who for long years 

Their lives to God have given; 
Who, pilgrims through this vale of tears, 

Are on the road to heaven; — 
Men in whose hearts a Christian's love 

Burns brightly every day; 
Who serve with zeal and trusting faith, 

The Life, the Truth, the Way. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 105 

Let vain, presumptious men forbear 

To judge fraternal ties; 
But 'ere our motes, remove the beam 

Obscuring their own eyes. 
Or else they the error make, 

The beloved one did of old, 
Who forbade a work, because the man 

Was not known in his fold. 

Bread to the hungry, drink to them 

That thirsteth here below, 
Is a command imperative, 

Sent to this field of woe. 
And when life's troubled waves are past, 

God judgeth every heart; 
'Tis His blessed voice, and not a man's, 

That says "Come" or "Depart." 



WHAT IS ODD FELLOWSHIP? 

BY MRS. L. D. TOWNSEND. 



What are Odd Fellows, what are they, 

What are the works they do? 
Just tend to what I have to say, 

And I will tell you. 

Odd Fellows are a band, indeed, 

Whom Friendship's ties have bound, 

To help a brother when in need, 
Where'er he may be found. 

By Love, their deeds will show to all, 
The good for which they strive; 

The number, when their roll shall call, 
Will show how well they thrive. 

And Truth, that binds their pledges strong, 

By golden links of three, 
Will keep them from all deeds of wrong, 

With the letters F. L. T. 

You ask what else these brothers do? 

They are a lodge, indeed, 
That care for all their sick ones, too, 

And bury all their dead. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 107 

They lend a loving hand to all 

Whom in distress they see, 
And show by deeds, both great and small, 

They reverence Charity. 

The Lodge has stood the test of years, 

And still keeps gaining ground; 
You'll find its brothers far and near, 

Should you the world go 'round. 

And should you roam in distant lands, 

Or lie wiih sickness low, 
You'll find the brothers loving 

Will kindness to you show. 

All deeds of kindness shown to man, 

Is what their pledges prove; 
They do what kindly acts they can, 

Through deepest vows of love. 

So now you know the work they do, 

And what Odd Fellows are; 
I hope you'll find my words are true, 

If you watch their works with care. 

This building now must have a name, 

Or else without be left, 
And so to give it greater fame, 

We call it I. O. O. F. 



THE ODD FELLOW'S HOPE. 

BY S. P. LELAND. 



The glory of a brighter day 

Is dawning, surely dawning, 
Athwart the sky its promised ray 
Drives midnight darkness fast away; 
Nor will a frown its progress stay — 

'Tis coming, surely coming! 

O'er all the world of human thought 

'Tis dawning, surely dawning, 
Each ray with eagerness is sought, 
And famished souls with hopes are fraught- 
Hopes, that by them were dearly bought; 
'Tis coming, surely coming! 

Aye, gaze above! The sky is light — - 

'Tis dawning, surely dawning, 
The heart leaps joyous at the sight, 
And prisoned souls from Error's night, 
Inspired with hopes, shout for the Right— 
'Tis coming, surely coming! 

You cannot stay its wings in air, 
'Tis dawning, surely dawning, 

Mankind, awake, arouse! The fair 

Bright morn is dawning everywhere, 

The very winds in joy declare 
'Tis coming, surely coming! 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 109 

A prophecy that brilliant beams — 

Tis dawning, surely dawning, 
When Right shall rule Old Might supreme, 
When men shall to each other seem 
As true, not a deceitful dream — 

'Tis coming, surely coming! 

That day when Truth and Right shall wed, 

Is dawning, surely dawning, 
Justice and Love are not yet dead — 
God's sacred words are not yet said; 
Nor Truth shall be by Falsehood led — 

'Tis coming, surely coming! 

Our Mystic tie is strong and Right; 

'Tis dawning, surely dawning, 
The East is reddening with the light, 
The promised gold is now in sight, 
Our Emblems shine with lustre bright — 

'Tis coming, surely coming! 

By our words we seek to prove — 

'Tis dawning, surely dawning, 
Faith beams in glory from above — 
Hope lights our paths with beams of love, 
And charity like Noah's dove, 

Is coming, surely coming! 



FIRST ODD FELLOWS SONG. 

BY JAMES MONTGOMORY. 



When Friendship, Love and Truth abound 

Among a band of brothers, 
The cup of joy goes gaily 'round, — 

Each shares the cup of others. 
Sweet roses grace the thorny way 

Along the vale of sorrow; 
The flowers that shed their leaves to-day 

Shall bloom again to-morrow. 
How grand in age, how fair in youth, 
Are holy Friendship, Love and Truth. 

On halcyon wings our moments pass, 

Life's cruel cares beguiling; 
Old Time lays down his scythe and glass, 

In gay, good-humored smiling. 
With ermine beard and forelock gray, 

His reverent front adorning, 
He looks like winter turned to May, — 

Night softened into morning. 
How grand in age, how fair in youth, 
Are holy Friendship, Love and Truth. 

From these delightful fountains flow 

Ambrosial rills of pleasure; 
Can man desire, can heaven bestow 

A more resplendent treasure? 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. Ill 

Adorned with gems so richly bright, 

We'd form a constellation, 
Where every star with modest light 

Shall gild his proper station. 
How grand in age, how fair in youth, 
Are holy Friendship, Love and Truth. 




THREE LINKS. 

BY S. T. JONES. 



There is a light that's brighter far 
Than noontide sun or cloudless day; 

It shines through darkness like a star, 
With mild, serene and constant ray. 

'Tis Friendship's pure, steady light 

That shines through sorrow's darkest night. 

But Friendship never can imply, 

Like holy Love's refining fire, 
The joy and gladness to the heart 

And satisfy its long desire. 
Then let us Love that greater light, 
Which knows no darkness, has no light. 

When Truth unveils her lovely face, 

Then Friendship clasps her by the hand, 

And Love at once did both embrace 
And bound the three in mystic band. 

And down life's path both age and youth 

Are cheered by Friendship, Love and Truth. 



FRIENDSHIP. 

BY REV. H. A. GUILD. 



Friendship! O, word of wide renown, 
And treasured wealth as well, 

O'er graces all cast golden crown — 
Come to our hearts and dwell. 

Sorrows infest our world to-day; 

Heart-aches swell loud their cry; 
Oh, haste, dear friendship, and obey 

The call, ere caller die. 

The brother true, of triple link, 
Hast learned the lesson grand; 

From fraters cup hast learned to drink, 
And 'mong the needy stand. 

'Twas early taught in Lodge's work 

Essential truth to know, — 
Nor let one frater seek to shirk 

One duty here below. 

Art strong, content and rich to-day? 

Happy that heart of thine? 
To-morrow all may flee away, 

And sun refuse to shine. 



lit POEMS ODD ii'i lows \\n REBEKAHS. 

Good deeds alone, with good intent, 

Survive the wreck of fate; 
On such the Father's blessing sent 

In measure lull and great. 

Would Friendship have ? Then Friendship give, 

Nor sordid count the cost. 
For Others plan for others live 
Reach down and save the lost. 

There is a friend that sticketh close, 

Closer than brother true; 
If we love Him, fair Sharon's rose, 

Forever bright and new. 

1 ,et love go torth from every heart, 

Encircling friend and foe; 
Ami friendship ever bear a part 

In scattering clouds oi woe. 



Then Friendship's lesson, newly taught, 

And newly leai tied as well, 

New joy to all will thus have brought, 
And all in love will dwell. 



OUR CARDINAL PRINCIPLES. 

BY B. P. SHILXABER. 



Hold up the torch, O brothers true. 

Sustained by warm, fraternal feeling;-; 
As we that living faith renew. 

That e'er in good is self-revealing. 

Let P>iendship's honest tongue express 
The honest heart's sineere emotion; 

And at this common shrine confess 
One aim. one duty, one devotion. 

Let love its holy rlame outpour. 

Our souls with readier zeal impressing; 
Till through its mission, more and more. 

Our Order shall be deemed a blessing. 

Let Truth's white banner still be pure, 
Without a stain its fo^ds e'er marring; 

Its presence shall our peace insure, 
And soothe the din of human airing. 

Hold high the torch! Its radiance brig/.: 
No jealous turbulence should smother; 

But may it blaze a beacon light. 
To guide in safety every brother. 

God smile upon this friendly band! 

And may He bless their grand endeavor 
To labor on. with heart and hand. 

In Friendship. Truth and Love rorever. 



THE NEW NOBLE GRAND. 



In his chair at the top of the room he now sits, 

Fine fellow, fine fellow, fine fellow, 
And the marble with gavel he gallantly hits, 

Fine follow, fine fellow, fine fellow. 
And the visiting brothers are loud in their praise, 
For he's just overflowing with quite winning ways, 
And politest attention to everyone pays, 
Fine fellow, tine fellow, fine fellow. 

But see, very soon, how he meekly submits, 

Good fellow, good fellow, good fellow, 
To those who SO kindly would sharpen his wits, 

Good fellow, good fellow, good fellow. 
For he finds himself hedged in on every side, 
With sharp points oi order he's bound to decide, 
And, rule as he will, they are sure to deride, 

Good fellow, good fellow, good fellow. 

At the end of his term he will take his back pay, 

Poor fellow, poor fellow, poor fellow, 
And for his successor will artfully lay, 

Poor fellow, poor fellow, poor fellow. 
So the wheel keeps revolving without any stop, 
Giving each one in turn a perch on the top, 
After which out of sight lie will probably drop, 
Poor fellow, poor fellow, poor fellow. 



PROGRESS AND FRATERNITY. 

BY A. J. HOUGH. 



There's a foot upon the threshold, there's a heart- 
beat at the door, 
And a stranger waits a welcome to the lodge 

room's sacred floor. 
We shall greet him as a brother, we shall hail him 

as a friend, 
And receive him to our bosom, with a love that 

cannot end. 
He is bound and we must loose him, he is blind 

and on his sight 
We must gently pour the radiance of the purifying 

light. 
He must learn by touch and token the deep 

meaning of our signs, 
And the pass-words by a whisper, like winds 

among the pines. 
It may be he comes to meet us with some low, 

narrow view 
Of the meaning of Odd Fellow, and the work he 

has to do. 
But a change will come upon him, other thoughts 

his mind control, 
When he sees the Order clearly in the early 

grandeur of its soul. 
If he doubts our lofty mission, fails to grasp its 

purpose large, 



118 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

He must listen to the accents of the worthy Past 

Grand's charge. 
Pen is seldom put on paper with so much of 

strength and grace, 
Half so grand a revelation of the glory of the 

race. 
It is filled with the aroma, and is shedding it 

abroad, 
Of the white flowers of the gospel of the blessed 

Son of God. 
If the stranger made a brother, gathers from that 

charge its worth, 
He will reach the noblest manhood on the fair 

face of the earth. 
What vast depth its words discover, what fair 

heights shine out afar; 
When we see them we remember what poor Odd 

Fellows we are. 
Passing over yonder threshold there is progress 

every day, 
From the lower to the higher, by an ever upward 

way. 
And the Initiatory service, though sublime the 

lessons gained, 
They are but the first faint whisper of what is to 

be attained, 
And the stranger made a brother, enters but the 

early dawn 
Of the Order and its service, — it is noonday 

further on. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 119 

Signs and symbols, hidden meanings, in his pres- 
ence will enclose, 
As the sun lays bare the blossom and the beauty 

of the rose. 
Every time he enters musing at the lodge room's 

open door, 
Something new will break upon him he has never 

seen before. 
And when backward fall his glances, o'er the 

darkened way he came, 
All the shadows have departed, it is luminous, 

aflame, 
With a meaning and message that he hears with 

bated breath, — 
Life's tremendous issues leaping from the lips of 

death. 
He can, will he, in the brightest day his life shall 

ever see, 
Lose the vision of that Presence which spoke once 

to you and me? 
Hands upon the bosom folded, lips that never 

cease to preach, 
With a silence more impressive than all forms of 

human speech. 
And the voices of his brothers, that were only 

heard in part, 
Will ring out in curious accents through the quiet 

of his heart, 
While the rose leaves will be shaken evermore 

along his way, 



120 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

And the wintery winds sad requiems sing above 
their swift decay. 

But the spring shall follow after, with soft zephyrs 
in his train, 

And the place of death, in beauty, in joy and life 
shall shine again. 

When he stood before the Warden, more pre- 
sumptuous than wise, 

And his sympathy was frozen in assisting him to 
rise, 

When the tottering ancient teacher spoke with 
thunder in his tones, 

The most decrepit brother have the lightning 
in his bones, 

Will he lose the solemn lesson through the rolling 
of the years, 

With "Forget it not! Forget it not!" still sounding 
in his ears; 

From his memory will the Noble Grand's instruc- 
tions ever slip, 

The Entersign, the Countersign, the Pass-Word 
and the Grip? 

If he dreams amid her grandeur that our Order is 
but a name, 

He had better turn and leave us by the door 
through which he came, 

For he stands as a blind man in the midst of 
summer flowers, 

And there's no place for a mummy in this Brother- 
hood of ours. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 121 

These are but the passing ripples of the ocean on 

the shore, — 
He has only crossed the threshold of initiation's 

door! 
Never pausing, onward moving, step by step he 

upward springs, 
And the steps are in a stairway leading up to 

nobler things. 
As the oak trees raise from acorns, and the rivers 

flow from rills, 
So the lodge room leads upward to the everlasting 

hills. 
As the day springs out of shadows to the noontide 

clear and bright, 
We come out of chains and darkness into liberty 

and light. 
On the first step of the Order, at the first door 

open thrown, 
There is Progress written boldly, — we must make 

the word our own. 
For Odd Fellowship, by nature, like all living 

things are true, 
Is an ever-growing glory and progressive through 

and through. 
Who, without the aspiring spirit, can in any sense 

discharge 
The high duties laid upon him in the worthy Past 

Grand's charge? 
It will take the best endeavors, or our manhood's 

splendid days, 



122 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

To approximate in likeness to the model it 
displays. 

Let us listen to its accents with, the stranger at 
the door, 

And behold a grandeur in it we have never seen 
before. 

Based upon eternal axioms stands the flag we hail 
unfurled, 

And its object, clearly written, is to Fraternalize 
the world. 

It points upward to one Father, shows the origin 
sublime, 

Of all nations, towns and people, filling every age 
and clime. 

Creeds we know not; parties, classes, breathe in 
our finer airs; 

Earth has one great family circle, — this is what 
the flag declares. 

There is room beneath its shadow, and it gathers 
there and holds 

One vast Brotherhood, united in rich and ample 
folds. 

There the nations may concentrate all their ener- 
gies for good, 

On the platform all embracing universal Brother- 
hood. 

And the elements of discord, tearing hearts with 
ugly rifts, 

Die beneath the splendid banner that Odd Fellow- 
ship uplifts. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 123 

All too high the standard; its aims too luminous 

and large? 
They are shining in their brightness through the 

worthy Past Grand's charge; 
When he rises, in this service, calmly speaking 

from the chair, 
To the stranger, made a brother, you will find 

that they are there 
Where I found them and have set them in my 

verses like a gem; 
They will not come down to suit us, we must 

measure up to them. 
There are other lessons spoken in that Charge's 

noble way, 
Of the highest pith and moment to the Brother- 
hood to-day. 
It is our sole endeavor to befriend the stricken 

ones; 
We are here to build up manhood, as God builds 

his stars and suns. 
Clothing naked, feeding hungry, is a mission 

grand and true, 
But to make a white soul whiter, is a noble work 

to do. 
We shall shield the stricken widow, take the 

orphan by the hand, 
At the bedside of the dying with sweet ministra- 
tions stand. 
It must never once be spoken in the market — on 

the street, 



124 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

That a brother died unsolaced, failing at his 

brother's feet, 
But beyond the moaning circle and the drying of 

its tears, 
We must make our brother richer through the 

everlasting years. 
He must bear some stamp upon him, some fine 

chiseling of light, 
That the universe will hail him as an Odd Fellow 

at sight. 
To have worn our priestly vesture, to have borne 

our sacred name, 
And the name be none the better is an everlasting 

shame. 
"That's a sermon," some one whispers; brothers, 

by our sacred sign, 
It's the worthy Past Grand preaching through 

this simple verse of mine.. 
When he shows our lofty mission, by a master 

spirit drawn, 
Our great Order stands to back him, and the 

world is looking on. 
Our's is not a restaurant merely, hospital or 

clothing store; 
If Odd Fellowship means something, it means 

infinitely more. 
It is manhood fully rounded, in all gracious deed 

displayed, 
And the character is massive as the hills of God 

are made. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 125 

For the body it will perish and go down to the 

sod, 
But the spirit, ever upward, seeketh after life and 

God. 
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, never one 

poor sufferer miss, 
But the worthy Past Grand told me there was 

something more than this! 
And the music of his message chilled and chained 

me to the spot, 
And its spell is still upon me, — brother men have 

you forgot? 
Like the standard of the Order, in its glory grand 

and high, 
As a beacon and a shelter, fling it out and let it 

fly, 

That to all with tender boldness it may one clear 

message speak: 
There is nothing high and noble that Odd Fellows 

do not seek. 



CLING TO THOSE WHO CLING TO YOU. 

BY D. M. G. 



There are many friends in summer 

Who are kind while flowers bloom, 
But when winter chills the blossoms 

They depart with the perfume. 
On the broad highway of action 

Friends of worth are far and few, 
So when one has proved his friendship, 

Cling to him who clings to you. 

Do not harshly judge your neighbor, 

Do not deem his life untrue, 
If he makes no great pretensions — 

Deeds are great and words are few; 
Those who stand amid the tempest 

Firm as when the skies are blue, 
Will be friends while life endureth — 

Cling to those who cling to you 

When you see a worthy brother 

Buffeting the stormy main, 
Lend a helping hand fraternal, 

Till he reach the shore again. 
Don't desert the old and tried friend 

When misfortune comes in view, 
For he then needs friendship's comforts, 

Cling to those who cling to you. 



ORIGIN OF ODD FELLOWSHIP. 

BY MRS. GARDNER. 



In heaven above was first conceived 
The blessings of the mystic tie, 

Which oft the widow's heart relieved, 
And often hushed the orphan's sigh. 

When erring man had grieved away 
The Holy Spirit from his breast; 

When none appeared his soul to stay, 
Or give his troubled conscience rest, — 

Then spake the Saviour, "Lo, I come," 
All heaven amazed stood at the word, 

"I leave for doomed man my home 
That he to life may be restored." 

He came and in a manger lay; 

Shepherds upon Judea's plains 
Watched Bethelem's star, and neath its ray 

They sang his birth in heavenly strains. 

How beautiful upon the mount 

The Saviour of the world appeared, 

At Siloam's silver fount, 

Where oft the sinking heart be cheered! 



128 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Benevolence and love combined, 
E'en in the early morn of youth, 

To lead his pure immortal mind 

To deeds of Friendship, Love, and Truth. 

Odd Fellows! On your way pursue! 

Take for your pattern Him who died; 
Scatter good works like morning dew, 

And learn of Him the crucified. 

To seek the sorrowing sons of woe, 

To sooth the hearts with anguish riven; 

To make their cup of hope o'erflow, 
And raise their eyes of faith to heaven. 



A DREAM. 

BY MRS. JENNIE E. STOUFFER. 



One night I felt tired and weary and sad; 

The whole earth in garments of mourning seemed 

clad; 
All bright, happy thoughts had flown far away, 
And the dark, gloomy ones seemed determined to 

stay; 
That day I had seen so much of earth's woes — 
Of sickness and poverty; worst of life's foes — 
Strong men rendered weak by the hand of disease, 
And some who from pain could gain no release; 
Thus thinking, I dreamed: Before me there stood 
A white, marble palace, quite near to a wood. 

The grounds were laid out in beautiful style, 
With flowers and fountains, most sure to beguile 
The weary and sad from all troublesome thought, 
The good, all around, reached one unsought. 
I asked, "Whose the palace so lovely and pure? 
How could they such unalloyed beauty secure? 
How long was the architect making the plan? 
And is it the work of angels or man?" 

There reached me this answer, both promptly and 

clear: 
"This fine, marble palace for many a year 
Has been in building; nor will be complete 



130 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAH3. 

Until time is ended; then each stone that's meet, 
Snugly fit to its place in the palace will stand; 
Then indeed will the palace be lovely and grand; 
The great Architect, who gave us the plan, 
Is the God of the Bible, not angels or man; 
But men are the workers, to each one is given 
A block of white marble, from solid rock riven, 
All rough and uneven. With chisel and mallet, 
As careful as artist with paint on his palette, 
Man must shape it, and smooth it, and fit it to be 
Placed in the wall like those that you see." 

"Then 'tis not complete," I said with surprise, 
"Pray who are the ones the workers comprise?" 
"They are known on earth as Odd Fellows true; 
Their rule, do to others as you'd have them do 
If you were in their places, they were in yours. 
This rule, love to others most firmly secures; 
If men love not their brothers, whom down here 

they see, 
How can they love God, or his children be? 
'Tis the nature of men to each seek his own, 
While in the base heart Selfishness has the throne, 

It rules with a heartless and merciless sway; 
Turns desires and affections all in the wrong way. 
These men called Odd Fellows, by triple ties 

bound, 
In all the whole earth as brothers are found. 
First in the chain, stands Friendship's bright ring, 
That cheers them and helps them to heartily sing; 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 131 

Though dark adversity on them may frown, 

Sustained by true friendship they'll ne'er go down. 

The last ring is Truth, so dear to the heart, 

It forms in each life no meagre part; 

If through the whole earth men were true to each 

other, 
Each showing the care he should for his brother, 
How much less of sorrow, and envy and strife, 
Would each have to write in his chapter of life. 
Uniting these rings of friendship and truth, 
Stands Love, alike welcomed by old age and 

youth; 
Love, that with white wings of charity hides 
The failings of others, and ever abides — 
Is never found lacking to help and defend 
Unfortunate brothers who on it depend?" 

But I said, "Who can join them? I'd like to be 

one 
To work for this palace so grandly begun. 
Who gives them the chisel, the mallet, the stone? 
And where will the plan to work by be shown?" 
"The rough block of marble is simply each man 
Who's willing to join in the Odd Fellows' plan, 
The chisel is Truth, the mallet is Love; 
The blows dealt in friendship all roughness remove; 
Then to polish the stone all these must combine, 
And out on the woes of humanity shine; 
Must bury the dead and care for the living, 
Affection and love to the sad heart giving; 
Must search out and help the widow and child 



132 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Who, crushed by their grief, with sorrow are wild; 
In fact, must like Angels of Mercy go forth, 
Dispensing their blessings East, West, South and 

North. 
They are called Odd Fellows, for men of this kind 
Who care for their brothers, are quite hard to find; 
Unless in such Orders, where, banded together, 
They stand by each other whatever the weather." 

"But this is for men. Have women no part? 
May they not with mallet and chisel now start, 
For this palace, so grand and so fair, fit a stone?" 
"God said, ''tis not good for a man to be 'lone.' 
'Twas the friendship of woman, her truth and love, 
Through which men learn something of heaven 

above, 
Her tender hand soothing feverish brow; 
Her constancy to a once plighted vow; 
Her love, that unwavering, would follow and save, 
Have taught men to be patient, helpful and brave. 
In yonder grand palace there's many a stone 

chiseled and polished by woman alone. 
They are called Rebekahs; up there in the dome 
They shine, as the daughters and wives do at 

home; 
Without them the palace would be incomplete; 
When they cap the climax, it cannot be beat. 
Rebekahs and Odd Fellows work hand in hand, 
Each helping the other — a brave, noble band. 
They're blessing the earth, bringing gladness and 

joy. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 133 

While all that is hurtful they aim to destroy." 

I awoke from my dream, being cheered and 

delighted 
That this world, that had seemed so dark and 

benighted, 
Had in it so many Odd Fellows to brighten 
The dark clouds of sorrow, and helpfully lighten 
The burdens of others, so careworn and weary, 
Who, but for this Order, would be sad and dreary. 
May God speed the Order, and add to their num- 
ber 
Those whose kind works and acts never slumber! 
May friendship and truth still with love be united 
Till time ends all unions, how e'er strongly plighted. 



GIVE US A GRIP OF YOUR HAND, 
BROTHER. 



Hail, Brother Odd Fellows! We welcome a man 

Who lias the three links, as a sign, 
And greet you in friendship as one of the band. 

In brotherly covenant join; 
Whatever your name and where'er you are found. 

North, South, East, or West, in our Nation, 
We offer to you an Odd Fellow's hand 

And an Odd Fellow's congratulation. 

CHORUS, 

Then give us the grip of your hand, Brother, 

Give us the grip of your hand; 
The Odd Fellow's grip will wisely not slip, 

So give US the grip o( your hand. 



We seek not to learn of your station or place, 

How high or low it may be; 
With us, words and actions bring lame or disgrace; 

Appearances often belie; 
A real Odd Fellow in fact or in name, 

While loyal to country and kin, 
Is grateful always to the Father Supreme, 

And fraternal to his fellow men. 



POEMS ODD I'l'l LOWS AND REBEKAHS. L8« 

If sickness and trouble should fall to our lot, 

When Into strange places we roam, 
The pledge o\ our Order will not be forgot; 

Odd Fellowship gives help and home; 
And SO you, our Brother, assistance may claim, 

Should ever misfortune oppress; 
Our hands and our hearts it will Still be our aim 

Not to close to a brother's distress. 

But not for our physical comfort alone, 

Our mutual relief are we bound; 
The good oi our Order at best may be shown 

When precept and faculties are joined; 
We war against vice in its various forms. 

Ever prompted by friendship to men; 
The teachings o\ Love will supply us the arms 

And Truth shall victory win. 



THE THREE LINKS. 

BY J. H. CLOYES. 



Come, brothers, all together raise 

Your voices in our Order's praise! 

Odd Fellowship, the theme shall be, 

Whose emblematic "Links" are three, 

"Fraternity" the "Corner stone," 

A firm foundation built upon; 

Its wall shall stand, while stands the earth, 

Bounded by "Friendship, Love, and Truth." 

We challenge no man's faith or creed, 

And largest liberty concede; 

Requiring but belief in God 

And universal brotherhood; 

Within the lodge-room, not a word 

Of party strife is ever heard; 

We only speak for moral worth, 

As shown by "Friendship, Love, and Truth." 

For mutual help in time of need, 

The mandates of our laws provide; 

We cheer the sick, inter the dead, 

The widow and the orphan feed; 

Our Order is a family 

Whose wants may limit chanty, 

Until mankind, East, West, North, South, 

Shall join in "Friendship, Love, and Truth." 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 137 

Forever may the Order be 

A model of fraternity! 

Forever the "Three Links" remain 

Which represent our Binding chain! 

Whene'er a brother needs a friend. 

May each an "open hand" extend, 

Showing alike to age and youth 

How grand are "Friendship, Love, and Truth." 



<& 



mm 



«% 



TEMPLE OE ODD FELLOWSHIP. 



I saw a stately building, 

Upraising to the sky; 
All chaste and fair, with gilding 

Like sun-light from on high. 

No architectural blunder 
Consistent in each part, 

And what to all a wonder 
Was that it had a heart. 

Illustrious example, 

'Twas worth)' of such lame, 
That 'neath its shelter ample, 

The poor and suffering came. 

Look on the beauteous building 
Tis our Order yon discry; 

Its tastefulness and gilding 
Do Love and Truth supply. 



A PATRIARCH'S ADVICE. 

BY P. G. CRAWFORD. 



A Patriarch, gray, who was seventy, or more. 
Whose appearance attested the years that he bore, 
Was sought for advice — as to how, where, and 

when, 
Best a fortune to gain — by several young men. 
"Is it fortune, you seek?" the old man replies, 
"A fickle jade, truly, who often denies 
Worth}' mortals her smile — instead gives a frown; 
Three fortunes have I she cannot put down. 

The first one I made not through my merit, 
Though it was one that I could not inherit; 
Since it was gained, for no price would I lose it, 
For the favor was great that allowed me to 

choose it; 
Draft after draft on this fortune I've made, 
Kach one was promptly and cheerfully paid." 
"Its name, and its path?" then chorused they all. 
"Friendship, its name; path, an Odd Fellow's Hall. 

The next was a nugget, the possession of which 
Made me, in finding, indescribably rich; 
'Twas a nugget that stood the crucible's heat, 
But easily melted, and made funds to meet 



140 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Every demand when my prospects were worst; 
This fortune I prize quite as high as the first." 
"What is it? Where is it?" chorused they all. 
"Love, it is; where? — in an Odd Fellows' Hall. 

I next found a diamond, much rarer than known, 
Though supposed to be common, its loss none 

will own; 
This jewel, though rare, when we don't labor 
To find, as we should; content with our neighbor, 
Has one rich and rare — our envies not bitter; 
But, if he lose his — what a terrible twitter." 
"The name of this diamond? Its field?" said 

they all. 
"Truth, its name; and the field is an Odd Fellows' 

Hall. 

T was young; now I am old,' a wise man once 

said, 
'And I've not seen the righteous, or seen begging 

bread;' 
Another maxim I'll add, and 'tis no surmise, 
Therefore, I pray you, take heed, and be wise: 
The best guard against life's ills is, forsooth! 
In practicing Friendship, Love, and Truth, 
Forget not these fortunes." "We'll not!" said 

they all — 
"For the path we have found — 'tis an Odd Fellows' 

Hall." 



ANNIVERSARY HYMN. 

T. E. GARRETT. 



The golden bands that brothers bind 

No hand on earth can sever; 
The golden heart of human kind, 

Pours out its wealth forever; 
The blasts of heartless winter blow, 

And beat the world's rough bosom; 
Yet 'neath a friendly crest of snow 

Live germs of leaf and blossom. 

Between the world and want we come, 

Like snowflakes o'er the meadow, 
To guard stricken wintry home 

Of orphan, and of widow; 
Beneath its warmth, and love, and life, 

While sullen winds are roaring; 
The helpless field, 'mid storm and strife, 

The golden hearts outpouring. 

The bright sun lifts the mass of gloom 

And the new-born life discloses; 
The spring wakes with shine and bloom, 

And strews the earth with roses; 
We hedge with Love our garden ground 

When howling tempest bluster; 
Our golden band enclose it round, 

And golden hearts will foster. 



FRATERNA1 l 0\ E. 



I i ead .1' tale some time ago, 

As quaint as it was old, 
And thmk It now as good and true 

As w hen it first \\ .is told ; 
So, by youi leave, I'll tell the same, 

Tins tale oi olden time, 
Ami for the sake oi euphony 

I '11 put it into 1 hyme, 

rhe scene is laid in othei lands, 

rhe time, the golden age, 
When men were true to manhood's name, 

rhough peasant, king oi sage, 
Two brothers li\ ed in Arabia; 

' 1\\ .is called the "blessed land;" 
rhey tilled the soil, day aftei day, 

With .m until ing hand. 
Ami Allah blessed theii labors, too; 

c \m n. w heat and fi uits were gh en, 
While they, with thankful hearts, gave praise 

For .ill these gifts oi hea\ en. 
rhey shared alike the - : :^\^^ and fruit, 

N01 questioned it was right, 
F01 each had toiled with equal skill, 

From eai ly morn till night, 

Now All w as .1 m. 11 1 led ni. 111 , 

1 1 is child] en numbei ed foui ; 



I'OKMS i 



iDD I I'l I OWS AND REBEKAHS. 1 ^'> 



And \ et he had enough for all 

Aiul something for the poor. 
rhey dwelt beneath a spreading palm, 

Sweet love reigned in their cot, 
Ami Ah was .1 happy man, 

Contented \\ ith his lot, 
But Baba was a single youth, 

With none to share his gain 
Of fruit and wine, of corn and wheat, 

Aiul sooi he him when in pain, 
Aiul yet, He seemed to be content, 

As most .ill bachelors are, 

Who have no one to care tor them, 
Aiul none tor them to care, 

Tw.is suninuM e\ e. the work was done, 

Aiul .ill li.nl gone to rest ; 
The yellow moon shed golden light, 

1 ,ow hanging in the West. 
The brothers toiled quite late that day 

Amul the i ipened gi am, 
Ami sheaves now stood about the field 

1 ike semi ies on the plain. 
The share of each stood by itsolt; 

betw een them lay a ro.ul. 

The sheaves were full, in numbers large, 
Many a \n agon lo.nl 



As Ah lay with wakeful rest, 

Upon his humble bed, 
Sweet thoughts came thronging to his mind, 
Anel Lifting up his head, 



144 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

He woke his wife, and thus he spoke: 

"My brother, noble boy, 
Has no sweet wife and children dear 

To swell his earthly joy; 
So I have mind, if you think best, 

Since we so prospered are, 
To take some sheaves and give to him, 

And so increase his share. 
It is but fair, for if we have 

Such joys, and a full store, 
We'll miss them not, while they will make 

His pleasures all the more." 
So, she assenting, he went forth 

And 'cross the pathway bore, 
Of his own sheaves to Baba's side, 

At least a full round score. 
And as the moon across the fields 

Threw its last lingering beams, 
He sought his couch, and like one blessed, 

Lay down to pleasant dreams. 

Then Baba, waking out of sleep, 

Thus to himself did say: 
"'Tis strange that I should dream at night 

Of things I thought by day. 
For I have thought, and think so still, 

And dream that 'tis not fair, 
That I should have all the grain 

With Ali equal share; 
For he has wife and children four, — 

Six mouths to feed in all, 



POEMS— ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 145 

While I have only one to fill, 

And that one's wants are small." 
So out he went, while All slept, 

And from his share of grain, 
Took the same score ot sheaves and set 

With Ali's sheaves again. 
Then, feeling every duty done, 

He slept the peace of rest, 
As only noble Arabs can. 

Who are by Allah blessed. 

When morning came, the brothers went 

To view the transformed scene, 
When lo! they saw each sheaf in place 

W 7 here it before had been. 
With some excuse the brothers left 

The sheaves upon the ground, 
While every night they went the same 

Unwearied, anxious round. 
But every morning 'twas the same, — 

Each sheaf was in its place, 
While wonder might be plainly seen 

Upon each brother's face. 
Then each, at last, resolved to watch 

And see what wrought the spell, 
Which undid all the deeds of love, 

And worked the charm so well. 
By chance, each chose a Sabbath eve, 

And strangely, the same hour, 
At which to watch and wait, till dawn 

Should break the evil power. 



146 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

So, bending with the weight of sheaves, 

Each strove to cross the road, 
And met his brother, face to face, 

Beneath another load! 
The secret each would keep was out; 

Each knew the other's heart; 
And oh! what joy, till then unfelt, 

The knowledge did impart. 
The sheaves were dropped upon the ground, 

And in the circle, there, 
Each brother told his tale of love, 

And why he sought to share 
With brother, dear, the fruit and grain 

Which Allah had him given. 
Ah! who shall say that love like this 

Partaketh not of heaven? 
A monument the place deserved, 

So there they built a cot 
With room for all; in toil and gain 

They shared a common lot. 
And when a stranger passed that way, 

With weary, way-worn feet, 
They gave him shelter through the night 

And all he wished to eat; 
Then, when the morning sunshine came, 

Rejoicing on his way 
The stranger went, with rested feet, 

And nought had he to pay, 
For plenty smiled upon their fields, 

And loving so each other, 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 147 

They felt that they were Allah's sons, 
And every man a brother! 

Fraternal Love! O, heavenly theme, 

Which angels never know, 
For 'tis a love which none may feel 

But mortals here below. 
Is there a man with heart so cold 

As not to feel its power? 
He cannot be an honest man, 

Nor happy, e'en an hour. 
If one loves not his fellow men, 

He's nothing but a clod; 
If he loves his fellows, then 

He's not despised of God. 
Nowhere on earth can love be found 

More pure, more true than this, 
And he who loves will not betray 

His brother with a kiss. 
And nowhere should this love be felt 

More warm, approved of God, 
Than in the lodge of "Fellows" who 

For that should be called "Odd." 



EMBLEMS AM) MOTTOES OF 0\)\) 
KKU.OWSllir. 

hv mks. [ENNIE WRIGH r. 



1 had a dream the other night, 

' ris in my memory still, 
1 dreamed I saw a long procession 

Coming slowly up the hill; 
'Twas a scone of such rare beauty 

That 1 never shall forget ; 
1 beheld such strange devices, 

Methinks 1 see them yet. 

(, )ne held high a banner, 

'Twas covered o'er with dust, 

1 read as it came nearer, 

"Our motto: In God We Trust." 

I noticed the prince and peasant, 

No matter if young or old, 
Wore alike the same bright regalia, 

Its collars were crimson and gold. 

1 noticed an old man carried 

The sacred volume of (]o<\; 
While one had a bow and a quiver, 

Another the serpent twined rod; 
One had an hour glass, cross bones and skull, 

Some had crossed gavels, crossed axes and keys 
Some had pens And scythes and swords, 

And one had a bundle of rods from the trees. 



POEMS ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 149 

1 saw another banner, 

At the top wore two crooks and the all-seeing eye; 
Underneath 1 noticed the three links. 

And .1 dove that Looked ready to fly. 
1 noticed three arrows, a heart and a hand, 

Twas carried by a slender youth; 
1 read the motto as be passed by, — 

Twas "Friendship, Love and Tru 

I looked, and lo! 1 saw a tent, 

It seemed se small to me; 
A: the top the bright gilt letters rea< 

"We brothers here agree 
To educate the orpha 

To go at the wido\a s call, 
To visit the s i e k . relieve the distressed 

Oui motto 'IV good to all 

But 1 noticed they stopped at the brow of the hill. 

All weary in body and soul. 
Ana began tc . . i a . . id as Adam of d . 

For flesh of my flesh a t - . nybone 

The women then came to theii aid, 

A cup e: cold w atei to g 
1 ike Rebeka they passed it around, 

Saying "Drink, ye weary, ana live 

rhen they all « en: to work, like dees in a hi\ e 

Each seemed so content with his rate; 
Their errand c . . w good deeds they have done 

Are too numerous foi me to relate 



150 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Then the seven stars in their order came out, 
The moon reflected its rays from the sun, 

And the dove passed by and it seemed to say: 
"Women have come and the victory's won." 

And last, though not least, came a grand old sir; 

His footsteps were feeble and slow; 
He looked as though some strange sad thing 

Had grieved him long ago. 
"God bless the Order," the old man said; 

"When death came into my home, 
The brothers and sisters gathered around, 

With words of cheer from each one. 

"God bless the Order, may it flourish and grow, 

Till the gavel be heard in each land, 
To relieve the distressed and bury the dead, — 

May they go under God's command. 
May the truths they learn from their ritual each 
night, 

Guide them nearer and nearer the cross; 
True to our Motto: Tn God we trust,' 

They'll find their toil is not lost." 



JOINING THE ODD FELLOWS. 



Wall, yas, I've j'ined the Odd Fellows, 

To oblige my friend, Mr. Mercer. 
When I fust went down I felt purty good, 

But when I cum back I was worser. 

I thought it the jolliest thing in the world 

To go through a long 'nidation, 
So I talked and gassed all the way to the hall, 

And laughed like gol-darned-nation. 

But I altered my tune when I got inside, 

When they brought out the black goat snorter; 

I jumped on his back, away he shot, 
Like a bomb shell out o' a mortar. 

He capered and pranced, I clung to his horns 
As he scampered around the arena; 

Mercer stood back, with his hands on his sides, 
And laughed like a laughing hyena. 

At last I fell off, the goat vamoosed, 

Then on a gridiron I was seated, 
And bobbed up and down on a red hot stove 

Until I was thoroughly heated. 



152 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

I was cooked to a turn, then taken off 
And hitched to an old wheel-barrow; 

I raced for an hour in a tank of soft soap, 
And was thrown on an upturned harrow. 

I climbed a greased pole, walked upon tacks, 

Then like a zebra was painted; 
Old Satan jumped onto my back with a screech,- 

By gum, I actually fainted. 

The other degrees were a durned sight wuss, 

But now I'm as tough as a horse; 
You bet if Mercer happens around, 

He'll get full of lead and remorse. 

All lodges the same? — I guess, I suppose, 

Just the same as five eighty-nine. 
Now Mercer told me that F., L. and T. 

Is Fools, Liars and Thieves — in your mind. 

I'm durn glad I j'ined, for there is a bond 

Of friendship and brotherly love; 
If members will live in true Odd Fellowship, 

We all will meet in the grand lodge above. 



ODD FELLOWSHIP. 

BY THOMAS BEATTY. 



Long years ago, I know not when, 

Odd Fellowship started amongst men; 

So long ago, I've heard it stated, 

That Adam was an Odd Fellow when created 

While some do claim Noah this great Order started 

Amongst his sons, when from the ark they departed. 

Now, I do not think that Noah started all this trouble, 

Because all in the ark was mostly double. 

While some do claim, and perhaps 'tis true, 

That Odd Fellowship was started by a Jew: 

It was down in Egypt, in old Pharoah's day, 

The Jews were set to making brick with clay, 

And, like all laborers of the present day, 

They complained of work and struck for higher pay. 

Now, this only proves my original intention, 

That striking is not modern invention; 

So they kicked up a row, and from Pharoah they 

departed, 
And some say then's when the Order was started. 
And again others say that when Rome in its pride, 
First landed its legions on fair Britain's side, 
The soldiers that carried the eagles on high, 
That had come there to conquer or come there 

to die, 



154 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Had started this Order to help one another, 
And to feel in his heart he had there a brother 
Who would stand by his side. till the last drop of 

blood 
Had flowed from his veins and mixed with the flood. 
And then they were called Odd Fellows, because 

of their way 
Of knowing each other by night or by day. 
Now, brothers, I've told you the legendary lore; 
No doubt it was known to many before, 
And I do not care any more to relate, 
For most of you know I can give the date 
When the Order was brought to the land of the free 
From the old country, away over the sea. 
What good do you do? I have heard people say, 
When you meet in your lodge in a secret way. 
If you do any good why not let it be known? 
Throw open your doors and let it be shown. 
But if it is true, that many do claim, 
We know that you will not, you dare not, for shame ; 
For you meet in your lodges for nothing but evil, 
And I've heard it said you sometimes raise the devil. 
And when a new candidate applies for admission, 
You take the occasion to teach him a lesson: 
That man in his pride is still made of clay, 
And the breath in his body must soon pass away, 
And his soul must return from whence it came, 
All covered with glory or bowed down by shame; 
And tell him his duty to those who are here, 
Till his heart seems to burst with the stillness of 
fear; 



POEMS— ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 155 

» 

You tell him his body in the grave soon shall rot, 
Then yon bind him with straw and ride him on 

the goat. 
And if any here don't believe what I've said, 
You'll find it is true, — the goat was on parade. 
What good do we do? Go ask the poor wife, 
Who in her despair seems weary of life; 
When her guide and protector in death is laid low, 
W 7 ho helps her to bear up under the blow? 
Go ask the poor orphans all over the land, 
Our Order has taken so kindly in hand, 
And clothed and protected from hunger and pain — 
They shall never know what want is again. 
When sorrow or sickness any member assail, 
The Brothers are ready, they never do fail; 
When duty has called, they always obey 
And assist one another, because 'tis their way. 
No pen can record, no voices can tell 
The work they have done, and they have done it 

well. 
Our work is done quietly, as the dews fall from 

heaven; 
It blesses who gives it and him who is given. 
When weary of life, breathing reluctant breath, 
Leaves no hope sweeter than the hope of death, 
When the only joy comes to that weary heart, 
Is that which a brother Odd Fellow can impart, 
When, with a kindly smile in his face, 
He at the bedside takes his place, 
And watches, through the silent hours of the night, 
A brother's spirit take a heavenward flight; 



156 POEMS -ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Nor leaves he there till his eyes are closed, 

And the body taken to its last repose. 

The widow and the orphan heart they cheer, 

And drive away the thoughts of want and fear. 

This, is the work Odd Fellows are pledged to do, 

And let us to our obligations still be true, 

And practice Friendship, Truth and Love, 

And meet each other in the lodge above. 

Go, watch the old miser gloat o'er his treasure, 

And tell me, does he have one-half the pleasure 

As when friends meet each other with a grasp of 

the hand, 
And know on each other they can always depend? 
Friendship makes this world a pleasure, 
Friendship makes this world more bright, 
Friendship makes us all more happy, 
Friendship brings us here to-night. 
That God is love, no man will now deny, 
Nor ask the reasons why. 
Love rules as much to-day 
As when Sir Walter Scott did say: 
"In peace love tunes the shepherd's reed; 
In war he mounts the warrior's steed; 
In halls in gay attire is seen; 
In hamlets, dancing on the green; 
Love rules the court, the camp, the grove, 
And men below and saints above; 
For love is heaven, and heaven is love." 
The truth at all times should be spoken. 
And an Odd Fellow's word should ne'er be broken. 
To speak the truth is at all times the best, — 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 



157 



It makes the conscience more at rest. 

Let us, as Odd Fellows, practice what we preach, 

So others will believe us when we try to teach 

That Friendship, Love and Truth, in any strife, 

Are the best safeguards against the ills of life, 

And will do more to hasten on the day 

When peace on earth will have its sway, 

When nations of the earth be one vast brotherhood, 

Linked only in the bonds of doing good. 




0\)\) FELLOWSHIP. 

HY THOMAS I . HARRIS. 



Whore Northern hills, with starry crowns and 

emerald mantles stand; 
Where Southern founts bedew the flowers that 

fringe their golden sand; 
Where Eastern cities proudly lift on high their 

sculptured crest ; 
Where Western woodlands view the sun roll 

down Pacific's breast; 
Where Hudson swells its waves, and sweeps the 

lone Columbia's tide; 

Where Warren tell, and Marion fought, and bold 
Montgomery died, 

' Lis there OdA Fellowship leads forth its armies 

brave and strong, 
To strive lor Truth and Peace and Love, to war 

with I late and Wrong. 
Their banners Hash with golden gleams along the 

purple sky; 

Their burnished robes the radient hues oi sunset's 

glow outvie; 

Their rallying shout is that which once through 

Judah's midnight rang: 
"Glory to (iod on high; on earth, good will and 

peace to man;" 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 159 

One holy brother-tie has bound ten thousand 
hearts in one, 

And valiant deeds from them go forth like bright- 
ness from the sun; 

And from their willing hearts and hands unbounded 
blessings flow, 

Sweet as the breath of angel lips, yet still as 
falling snow! 

All precious memories cluster 'round the Order's 

holy shrine, 
The deathless things of old renown, of thoughts 

and lives sublime; 
With Truths, eternal and sublime, the Order's lips 

are rife; 
Our Father, God; our Brother, man; the soul's 

progressive life; 
And when our sacred portals ope, all free and 

far go forth 
The deeds of charity and peace, to bless and 

gladden earth, 
And strong and true, and guided on with glory 

from above, 
We move, Earth's noblest Chivalry, the Brother- 
hood of Love! 

We come, and splendor dawns, and Day lifts high 

its crown of light, 
And break and fade the clouds that veiled the 

throne of ancient Night; 
The walls of Sect, the chains of Creed, in shattered 

ruins lie, 



160 POEMS— ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

And free, our Brother, Man, comes forth, with 
gladness in his eye. 

They crush the old Sectarian spite, the angry 
discords cease, 

They join our throngs with snowy robes of blessed- 
ness and peace, 

And seraphs tune their harps of flame to hear the 
music rise 

From wedded thoughts of truth and love, and 
mingled hearts and lives! 

We come, and lo! the Widow's heart once more 

had learned to sing, 
And sudden joys within her breast like living 

waters spring. 
We come, and see, the Orphan brood in silent 

bliss rejoice, — 
Find in our care a mother's breast, a father's 

gentle voice. 
We come; the stricken wanderer, laid upon a 

wasting bed, 
Sees angels' forms around him bow, and move 

with silent tread; 
And tearfully, when all is o'er, we gather 'round 

the sod, 
And bear our Brother's "dust to dust," his spirit 

with our God! 

Odd Fellowship! 'Tis ever blessed with blessings 

from above; 
'Tis twined amid the widow's prayer and in the 

orphan's love; 



FoEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 161 

The living God hath arched its dome and built 

its bulwarks high; 
It rests beneath a loving light of his unslumbering 

eye. 
So shall its grandeur never wane, its glory never 

fade, 
Its halls arise with Truth and Love and Liberty 

arrayed, 
And in the blessed human heart a sacred treasure 

lie, 
Too great to fail, too sweet to fade, too divine to 

die. 




ODD FELLOWSHIP. 

BY D. M. GILDER. 



Beneath the tri-linked banner, 

Whose folds are floating free, 
Triumphant of the land 

And victorious on the sea, 
A noble army marches, 

Whose ovations ne'er can cease, 
For "Its ways are ways of pleasantness, 

And all its paths are peace." 

It fights not for the Eagle, 

For the Cross, or for the Crown, 
It builds up no Napoleons, 

It hurls no Hapsburgs down, 
It wars against no nation, 

It drinks no human gore, 
It leaves no skeletons behind, 

It sends no plagues before. 

It needs no drum or trumpet 

To urge its ranks along, — 
The soldiers are all heroes 

In that majestic throng. 
It fights, but not with cannon, 

It strikes, but not with steel, 
Its only guerdon, glory, 

And its goal, the commonweal. 



POEMS— ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 163 

It battles with the sorrows 

And the ills of human kind, 
And plants its proud gonfalon 

On the freedom of the mind; 
Attacks the hosts of ignorance, 

Charges on the ranks of sin, 
Opens wide the door of heaven 

And bids all men enter in. 

Its foes are nature's enemies, — 

Disease, and death, and woe; 
In its camps there are no orphans, 

No widow's tears can flow. 
It soothes the couch of suffering, 

The famished feeds with bread, 
Protects the friendless, living, 

And consecrates the dead. 

What power can stay its progress, 

Till it marches through the world? 
All nations see its triumphs, 

And hail its flag unfurled; 
Heaven smiles upon its conquests, 

And approves the God-like plan, 
To link in holy nuptials 

The Brotherhood of Man. 



WHAT ODD FELLOWSHIP IS. 



Friendship is the golden quiver 

That holds the arrows that never shiver, 

The heart that needs repose. 

The sea that heavtd in sighs and wept 
Beneath the golden locks that slept, 
That turned the billows into rolls, 
By his two silver words, "be still;" 
Then gave his life on Calvary's hill, 
That we might all be kept. 

Love, the word that saved the world, 
Its author was from heaven hurled; 
The gold of Ophir ne'er was curled, 
Nor starry rainbow ne'er unfurled 
In floods as pure as this. 

And Truth, the crown of just three links, 
That shine like stars, me humbly thinks, 
That spreads her hands from zone to zone, 
Like the rainbow around the heavenly throne, 
This mystic chain that you all see, 
That fills you with curiosity. 
Come, join the Order ere too old, 
And the burning links will turn to gold. 



LIFE'S PROMPTINGS. 

BY D. GRAY, P. G. P. AND P. G. REP. 



Is it noble to inherit 

Wealth of those of high degree? 
We should find some nobler object, — 

Friendship, Love and Truth for me. 

Triple links should grow the brighter, 
And our promptings ever pure, 

To uplift a fallen brother; 

Who can form a plan more pure? 

He who seeks the lodge's advancement, 

Aids the world in aiding mind; 
There is labor for the lowly, 

Science for the man of mind. 

♦ 

Each one, with his noble promptings, 
And the whir of busy wheels, 

Gives us music, ever charming, 
In what we all should feel. 

And as man should work for mankind, 

Ever toiling up the hill, 
Leaving prints of angel foot-steps, 

Up the steep and rugged hill. 



166 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS 

For the working up is noble, 

For its God's majestic plan, 
Man must labor for advancement, 

Man must help his fellow man. 

Friendship, Love and Truth should guide us, 
Linked by Faith, Hope and Love, 

And fulfilling all requirements, 
We, as brothers, nobly should. 




DAVID AND GOLIATH. 

BY AN IRISH BaRD. 



The brightest boy ould Jesse had 
Was David — youngest son; 

He was a bould and active lad, 
Well liked by ivery one. 

Altho' he had to moind the sheep, 

To l'arn he was so sharp, 
Whin other boys wor' fasht ashlecp, 

He'd practice on the harp. 

'Twould make the birds in heaven hide 
Their heads to hear him sing; 

He'd murther half the country-side 
Wid pebbles and a sling. 

And thin the sootherin' ways he knew 
To capture young and ould! 

The female sex — och, Whillielu! 
'Twas there wor his heart bould. 

Whin David was some eight years 

Of age, or thereabout, 
Betune the haythen and Jude-ar 

A bloody war broke out. 



168 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

His brothers 'listed for the war — 

Begorra! they wor daises — 
His father tuk a conthract for 

To sell the army chaases. 

"David," the ould man said one day, 
"You'd loike to take a little tramp; 

Jist load some chaases on the dhray 
And take 'em down to camp." 

He dhrove to camp and sought straightway 

The Commissary's tint; 
He got a voucher for his pay, 

Then to his brothers wint. 

He found 'em lookin' mighty blue, 

And in a dreadful fright; 
Retrate was what they wished to do, 

But divil bit of fight. 

A big, black bully, tin fut tall, 

Was bluflfin' all the Jews, 
And throops and staff and Gin'ral Saul 

Wor' quakin' in their shoes. 

Goliath was the craythur's name — 

A howling Philistine. 
His sword was loike the lightnin's flame, 

His spear was loike a pine. 

He wore on his back and breast 
Tin thousand pounds of brass; 

The shine of him, completely dhressed, 
Would smash a lookin' glass. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 169 

And ivery day the baste would sthrut, 

Inflamed with dhrink and pride, 
And kept all Israel closely shut 

In lines well fortified. 

"Come out!" he'd bawl, "Come out of there, 

Beyant yure dhirty works; 
Come, av' ye dare, and fight me fair, 

Wid sich low trash as shirks!" 

This sort of talk was well and good 

Till David j'ined the throop; 
When he the matther understhood, 

Bedad, he raised a hoop! 

"It is burnin' sin and shame," 

He said, "upon me word, 
To hear this haythen hound defame 

The chosen of the Lord. 

"And since no other man has felt 

A wish to tan his hide, 
I'll fight him for the Champion's belt 

And fifty slugs aside." 

The Corp'ril of the Guards he tould 

The Offsur of the day 
What David said, and he made bould 

To mintion it at tay. 

The Edge-du-Camp was of that mess, 

And heerd £he whole discoorse, 
So he — he couldn't do no less — 

Tould Gin'ral Saul, av' coorse. 



170 POEMS— ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

The Chafe of Staff writ the High Praste 
To sind peremtuous orthers 

For David to report in haste 
At Gin'ral Saul's headquarthers. 

But whin the son o\ Jesse kirn, 

And Saul beheld the lad, 
So young, so tender-loike and shlim, 

It made him tearin' mad. 

"Oh. Houly Moses! look at that!" 
Said Saul. "The boy's eonsate! 

How can it be that sich a brat 
Can mat eh that heavy weight? 

"'Wad the blood-suckin giant thafe 

This baby cannot sthrive; 
The Philistine, it's my belafe, 

Would ate him up alive," 

Thin David sphoke: "Ale lord, it's thrui 

This seems a rash intint; 
Vet while 1 weigh but nine stun' two, 

I'm full oi divilmint, 

"A lion and a bear kim down 
The mountain's rugged sides; 

1 slew the bastes, then want to town 
And thraded oil their hides. 

"And since for roarin' brutes loike thim 
I've found I'm man enough, 

I'm quite convinced that 1 can thrim 
This blaggard pagan rough." 



POEMS ODD FE1 I OWS AND REBEKAHS. 171 

"Avick," said Saul, "yure full of pluck, 

And wag your little shin 
Like one who ra'ly thrusts his luck 

And manes to thry and win. 

"I'll give ye my best coat of mail — 

A new spring suit, list made — 
Tuck in a thrirle in the tail 

And pad the shoulder blade." 

But David did not understhand 

The use of such a thing-. 
And only wanted in his hand 
His start and thrusty sling. 

Whin Goliath saw little David approachin'. 
afther havin' heerd proclamation that a gra-at 
Champion was comin' out to tight him. Musha, he 
laughed ht to sphlit his sides; and by reason of 
what passed betune them in the way of talk, I 
dhrap out poethry for a bit. Bekase, while 
poethry is mighty foine for a sintlemental dialogue, 
it's no good at all for a ra-al sthrong. first-class, 
breezy blaggardin' match. 

"Oh, Jasus!" said Goliath, wid the wather 
bilin' out of his eyes for laughin'. "what sort av 
thing is that? .May the devil admire me." he 
says, "if I don't belave it's a monkey escaped 
from an orgin grinder." 

"Ve'll find me a might}- bad thing to monkey 
wid." said David, "ye big thafe, wid a pot on yure 
head loike a cupolo on a steam tire engine, and yure 
dirthv. black mouth loike the hole of a coal cellar." 



172 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

"Ye little skinned pole-cat." said Goliath, 
beginnin' to grow mad whin he diskivered that 
David's rethoric was superior to his, "do ye think 
I'm a dog that ye've got a sthick to bate me wid?" 

"Bedad," says David, "I wouldn't be afther 
doin' a dacint dog sich injustice, but it's a dog's 
mate I'm goin' to make ye." 

"Hear that!" says Goliath, "arrah now tache 
yure gran'mother to feed ducks?" 

"Dhry up," says David, "bad scran to ye," 
he says, "ye haven't the since of a cat-fish. By 
the light that shines, yure bad grammer gives me 
a cramp in me stummick." 

Och! David had a tongue in his head loike a 
Jew's-harp. 

"Tare an' ouns!" says Goliath, "I'll not l'ave 
enough of yure hide in one piece to patch a shoe." 

"Tare and ages!" says David, "I'll give the 
buzzards a picnic wid yure dirthy karkuss, and 
sure it 'ull make 'em sick to eat ye." 

"Ye're a liar!" says Goliath. 

"Ye're another!" says David, "and an opthal- 
mic ould Cyclops to boot." 

Wid that Goliath lost his timper inthirely. 
He pawed up the groun', and kim at David wid 
his eyes shut, a-bellowin'. And that bhrings me 
back to the poethry. 

Goliath poised his mighty spear, 
'Twas fifty fut in length; 

And unto David dhrawin' near 
He punched wid all his strength. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 173 

But David was surprisin' quick 

And sphry upon his pins; 
So. dodgin' nately, wid his sthick 

He whacked Goliath's shins. 

Wid pain the giant howled and grinned. 

And dhrapped both shield and lance 
To rub his legs the lick had skinned. 

Thin David saw his chance; 

Takin' a brick from out his scrip, 

He put it in his sling. 
And. whirlin' it 'round head and hip, 

He let it drive full swing. 

Right to the mark the dornik flew. 

As straight as to a hod; 
It smote the wretch betune the eyes 

And stretched him on the sod. 

Thin David, for to prove him dead. 

In sight of all beholders. 
Cut off his unbelavin'-head 

From his blasphamious shoulders. 



Whin the Phenaysean sailors sought. 

Long since, ould Erin's sthrand, 
A prince of David's blood they brought, 

Who settled in the land. 



174 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

From him the Irish race had birth, 
And that's why we delight in, 

Beyant all other tribes on earth, 

The harp's swate sthrains and fightin', 

That this surmeize is nowise thin, 

Can asily be shown, 
For harp and sthick have iver been 

As Erin's emblims known. 

Thin let her inimies beware 
How they indulge their hate; 

Let England thrimble lest she share 
Goliath's dhreadful fate. 



FRIENDSHIP, LOVE AND TRUTH. 

BY WILLIAM W. MORRIS, P. G. M. OF KENTUCKY 



Friendship, Love and Truth is the motto of 
our Order, — an index to all its teachings, and all 
that is expected of those who bear the name and 
wear the badge of Odd Fellowship. It is a sort 
of epitome of all that is honest and lovely and of 
good report. In it we find that which brings man 
in cordial correspondence with his fellows, which 
draws him into the strongest fraternal relation 
and places him on- the immutable principles of 
truth. Friendship, Love and Truth, — a motto 
that comprehends the motive power to all kindly 
offices and to high moral achievements, through 
which to develop the higher and better impulses 
in man; to make him forget that which is sordid 
and selfish, until it becomes a pleasure to have an 
open hand for the hungry, to give solace to the 
afflicted, and the hand of fellowship to the lonely. 
It has ever been a rainbow of hope upon the 
shores of trouble and sorrow. The sentiments of 
David and Jonathan and of the good Samaritan, 
which are symbolized in the observance of this 
motto, are the sweetest and most beautiful which 
romance or inspiration has ever given for the 
light and guidance of man. If, in our souls, 
humanity has a dwelling place, we will find as 



176 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

much satisfaction in the smile which our kindness 
may bring to the face of some "Tiny Tim," or the 
thanks of some befriended orphan, or the conso- 
lation which our ministrations may have carried 
into the life of some stricken widow, as ever man 
received from the wielding of sceptres or the 
wearing of crowns, while the healing of the wound 
of some afflicted mother sends a richer thrill to 
our hearts and touches a deeper and truer fountain 
in our souls than all the bowing heads and pur- 
chased cheers that line the pathway of the mighty. 

FRIENDSHIP. 

Without Friendship, one of the great designs 
of the Almighty in making man a social being, 
would lack fulfillment. It would make earth a 
social waste; isolation and indifference to the 
happiness and well-being of others would be the 
result. By the influence of Friendship man lives 
in the neighborhood of his fellows; by it we have 
the cordial greeting and the social gathering. 
Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which 
strengthens with the setting sun of life. True 
Friendship anticipates the wants, appreciates the 
sorrows of the distressed and acts with promptness 
and cheerfulness, It is open handed, it is typified 
in the hearty grasp of the full hand — not the fingers 
— it is manifest in writing "Brother" in full, instead 
of the abbreviated "Bro." 

Some men won't even lend an ear to misfortune, 
others are so constituted that they can never see 
the bright side of anything but a dollar. Still others 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 177 

hear of distress and long to give advice. The 
friendship of an Odd Fellow is not purchasable; 
"it is the friend in need who is a friend indeed." 

"Friendship is a plant of no hasty growth . 
Though planted in esteem's deep, fixed soil, 
The gradual culture of kind intercourse 
Must bring it to perfection." 

LOVE. 

Love is a divine principle, a principle that is 
"sweeter than life and stronger than death." It 
is the all-pervading spirit of the patriarchs and 
prophets; it, too. was beautifully illustrated in the 
lives of David and Jonathan; so pure and exalted 
were their attachments that no motives of worldly 
gain nor the wicked hatred of an envious king 
and father could dampen the ardor of mutual love 
nor break the covenant, made between them, 
founded in love. Love is the fundamental princi- 
ple of life, it is the perennial spring from which 
we draw all of our happiness. Love is life, it is 
civilization, it is everything. "Faith, hope. love, 
these three; the greatest is love." 

TRUTH. 

Truth is always to be associated with friend- 
ship and love, and without which neither of the 
others could long subsist. Truth in principle 
and practice is prominent and leading in all that 
pertains to Odd Fellowship. By its mild and 
heavenly influence man is guided through the 



17S roi'Ms onn rn.iows and REBEKAHS. 

many bewildering crossways of this world, amid 
the conflicting and changing opinions and designs 
of men, to the brightness oi unclouded daw 

Truth is that cardinal virtue which deals with 
equity, in all the affairs of lite. It is the opposite 
of disguise, prevarication, hypocrisy and conceal- 
ment, and is a vital principle oi every community 
which is well founded among men. Truth enables 
us to ascertain what virtue is and guides us into 
its personal possession. Truth is essentially the 
only foundation of confidence, ami confidence is 
the only bond of association among the wise, the 
intelligent and the good. 

It mingles its unclouded perceptions oi duty 
with the generous grasp of friendship and the 
sweet sympathizing voice oi love, The man of 
truth is as true to principle as the needle is to the 
pole; honest, not because oi that miserable old 
ada^c, that "honesty is the best policy," but 
because it is ri^ht and characteristic of the just 
ami the true ami the noble. 

FRIENDSHIP. 

"Firm as the Alps, around whose peaks 
The storm god oft in thunder speaks 
In friendship, which thro' weal or woe. 
Warms the heart with genial glow; 
Upholds the right, condemns the wrong, 
Defends the weak against the strong; 
Nor flatters when dark troubles dawn, 
Ami gathers Strength as years roll on." 



POEMS — ODD FELL; S lND rebekahs. 179 



LOVE. 

*Lik; : £ [] gentle eathicg 

Of a I ; d er mother s e s 

Love, with Rowers the heart enwreathing, 

Ban ishes each sordid care; 
Fills the soul \vi: supernal, 

Roseate - is ; awn the nig 
Making Lif e a spi ing eternal, 

E v ; ; ; t is . e ver bright." 

TRUTH. 

"Through th ; 

Down the coi dors oi :ime. 

A:: ;. : ;- :;.._:: bv ;. ; . s.-.ges 
Steadfast as the Rock of Ages 

Comes truth, eternal and sublime." 



LISTLESS LODGE. 



'Twas nine by the clock, intermission was o'er, 
The Guardians took their places and closed each 

door; 
The members were seated — the business was done, 
The "Good of the Order" an hour had won; 
The Warden was spinning an ode card at ease, 
The Deputy sat just as prime as you please, 
While working in wool, the grim face of a cat, 
In comfort curled up on the top of a mat. 
The gavel had sounded— the Lodge was quite still; 
A song was requested from Sister McOuill; 
She rose with a smile, and her long ringlets shook; 
"Excuse nu\" says she, "I've forgotten my book." 
A brother was called on he'd "nothing to say," 
Hut mentioned the name of Theopolis Day. 
Theopolis rose — 'twas the story of old — 
He'd got what he termed a "very hard cold." 
Each brother and sister was heard to decline, 
And six and a three out of every nine; 
The "Good of the Order" looked meagre and poor, 
Said one, "I shall never come here any more." 
The members grew tired and listless and dull, 
For no one would speak, though the Lodge room 

was full; 
No brother or sister would sing or recite, 
The hour was thoughtlessly wasted that night. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 1S1 

One brother. I ought to have mentioned, arose — 
He looked up at the ceiling and down at his toes; 
Says he, "as there's nothing now left us to learn, 
I move, Xoble Grand, that this Lodge do adjourn." 
The singing and prayers in a twinkling were o'er. 
Regalias and ode cards were thrown on the floor; 
The members brought colds and excuses that nigrht. 
To shut the Lodge-room and put out the light. 




AN ODD FELLOW'S LEGEND. 

BY L. L. MEEKER. 



Late rang the hour from Newark's tower, 
Above the aged Minstrel's bower 
On Yarrow's bank, where twelve friends drank 
His health while lords in slumber sank. 

And odes were sung till morn was young, 
The while the harp in silence hung 
Till all were done. The bell chimed one; 
Then was the minstrel's chant begun. 

A Druid old, wont to unfold 
Deep mysteries by wood and wold — 
Last of his race — stood face to face 
With him who first held harper's place. 

"My son," said he, "no more may we 
From sea to sea pure Britons be; 
Go, sing the name and chant the fame 
Of heroes slain when Saxons came. 

"As bards and seers, through coming years, 
Until the Norman fleet appears, 
From shore to shore the Island o'er, 
Go, sing the mighty deeds of yore. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 183 

"Go. weave the verse, the tale rehearse, 
And know the ancient Druid's curse, 

The might}' charm, fortell harm 
That human pow'r cannot disarm. 

"Thirteen gray men, within one ken, 
Will ne'er see thirteen moons again, 
But from the list shall one be missed — 
For Death fails not to keep his tryst. 

"Then take the spell and con it well, 
In ev'ry clan and death foretell; 
Your race must go when many know 
The charm for weal as well as woe! 

"The die is cast, our day is past, 
And I of minstrels am the last! 
No more our lays chant heroes' praise 
In these degenerate modern days! 

"Sons of the Bards! Xo gift retards 
The fate that Father Time awards. 
The force is spent. Ye, of their bent, 
Convival, improvident. 

"Ye are thirteen, strong men I wean, 
But on each temple frost is seen. 
Against the day one drops away — 
Let each of you a stipend pay. 

"Thus, 'ere I go, thirteen shall know 
The charm for weal instead of woe, 
And know, besides, whate'er betides, 
A Ruling Principle provides 



184 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

"A time to die, for low and high — 
All under the All-seeing eye! 
When others, too, unite with you, 
See that they know that this is true. 

"The Seers of old all men controlled — 
Our grandsircs swore by wood and wold, 
But now men look upon the Book 
With eyes of faith that scoff ne'er shook. 

"The Book respect, and yet, reflect, 
What to accept or what to reject. 
Let each decide, and none, in pride, 
Presume another to deride. 

"Whether at Rome, or here at home, 
Beneath the local chapel's dome, 
Or in each breast, He knoweth best 
Where dwells the power of chief behest. 

"Let others, too, unite with you, 
In Loving Friendship, be ye true, 
And all agree in harmony; 
Have Faith and Hope and Charity. 

"The world is wide wherein abide 
The woes of life on every side; 
The sorrows cheer, or bear the bier, 
And wipe away the orphan's tear. 

"And ere the sun his course has run, 

My earthly labor will be done; 

But, if my sight beholds aright, 

Ye will be blessed, — and now — Good-night!" 



THE ODD FELLOWS' CHAIN 

BY MRS. B, E. THOMPSON. 



'Tis a chain of three links, yet its strength will endure, 
Although enemies missiles have hurled; 

These links, linked together so firm and secure. 
In time will encircle the world. 

The first link is Friendship, and what does it mean? 

Is its mission on earth fraught with woe: 
Dees hatred and malice its footsteps attend. 

To follow where'er it shall go? 

Is it Friendship that whispers the slanderous word 

That sullies the name oi another? 
Is it Friendship that otters the sparkling cup 

That sends down to ruin a brother? 

Is it Friendship that turns a deaf ear to the cry 
Of a brother whom robbers have wounded, 

And quickly goes by on the other side. 
Away from the voice as it sounded? 

Oh. no! it is Friendship that giveth good cheer 
To those who have trouble and sorrow; 

It is Friendship that flies to the one far or near, 
And does not wait for the morrow. 

It is Friendship that turns to the one in distress. 

And pours in the wine and the oil, 
And binds up the wound and does what is best. — 

'Tis in Friendship for others we toil. 



186 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

The magical link in our chain is Love; 

Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; 
Our nature on earth is to love and be loved, 

And Love sweetens toiling and labor. 

Love is a gift from our Father above; 

Its price above rubies we own; 
And, toil as we may, we ne'er can repay 

The love which to us He has shown. 

'Twas in love that He gave His only dear Son 

To suffer and die on the tree; 
And thus did He die, the crucified one, 

That we from all sin might be free. 

May we heed the command of our Savior and friend 

Little children, love one another; 
Each day that we live may the duties performed 

Be in friendship and love to each other. 

There is one more link in our beautiful chain, — 

The others without it would die; 
These three, linked together, will always remain 

A jewel as pure as the sky. 

This link is of infinite value to all, — 
It is precious in old age and youth; 

In the history of Washington we may recall 
What to him was the value of Truth. 

This is our motto and may it adorn 
Our members from old age to youth; 

In lodge or in home let it always be worn 
As a chain of Love, Friendship and Truth. 



ODD FELLOWS' DAY, SEPTEMBER 25th. 

BY C. JENNIE SWAINE. 



Come from the beautiful southland, 

And the golden summer hours, 
Where the tall palmetto shadows 

Steal over mazes of flowers; 
Come from the emerald valley, 

And the mountains, purple and dun, 
Where the haze of the Indian summer 

Steals the fervid kiss of the sun; 
With chaplets enwrought with roses, 

And clusters of fruit and vine, 
Come at the call fraternal, 

And inwreath your festal shrine. 

As the phalanx of your armies 

Pass in an endless line, 
The stars in a legion of banners 

In glorious brotherhood shine; 
Each hand knows a brother's clasping, 

All hearts are beating as one, 
Hope's dream has but one fruition, 

So all laurels are shared when won. 
These are the soldiers whose conquests 

Come not from scar or stain, 
These are they who gathered glory 

From fields that know no slain. 



188 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Cluster your pictures of beauty 

In a milky way, dim or bright; 
What the sculptor mind has moulded, 

And the alchemist love made white, 
Shall be the stones of your temple, 

And no fairer shall there be, 
So all the tribes of the people 

Shall its wonderful beauty see. 
They shall say, "the temple is founded 

On Friendship, Truth and Love, 
And its corner-stone was taken 

From our Father's temple above." .. 

Then come from the beautiful northland, 

Where the crystal glacier gleams, 
And sit by the side of your brother, 

Of the summer land of your dreams; 
Bring your songs, with his to mingle, 

The song of tempest and calm,— 
As ye soothed the wail of sorrow, 

Shall its notes have power to charm. 
Love and Truth and Friendship, 

Lyre and harp and lute,— 
All the singers shall veil their faces 

And before the players be mute. 



AN ELEGY ON FRIENDSHIP. 



Stands an altar flower adorned 
In an arbor of roses hid, 
Violets in sweet profusion 
Fragrance shed around it e'er. 
Lilies, too, and pansies mild, 
Heliotrope all undefiled 
Friendship here brings sacrifice, 
Worship daily heart and soul — 
Sacrifices here her heart blood, 
Self-denying, unpresuming. 
Daily vows are offered here, 
Daily vows are broken, too. 
Each day sees some noble deed, 
Each day, too, some outrage done 
In the name of purest friendship. 
Ah, the hearts so nobly offered! 
Ah, the blood so freely shed 
In the course of truest friendship. 
Friendship has by God been granted 
To our souls athirst for love, 
'Tis the echo most divinely, 
Of God's love to mortal men. 
'Tis the touchstone of a higher, 
Nobler love — the love of God. 
Shame upon the selfish soul that 
Shuns a friend to seek, and . 



190 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND KEHEKAHS. 



Shame upon the haughty soul, 

Rejects the friendship brought 

By loving heart and clinging arms, 

By souls that loathe to part. 

And yet, 'tis ever so, tor hearts 

Will pine, and hearts are proud, 

And proud ones ever will reject 

The love that others bring. 

And hearts that are proud 

Will break the hearts that love; 

So was it since the world began, 

Alas! so will it ever be, until 

The ages pass and God our souls receive. 




REBEKAHS. 



TO THE DAUGHTERS OF REBEKAH. 

BY F. W. ENTRIKIN. 



Pray, sisters, with due attention wait 
Your brother's message from God's book of fate; 
Nor will he try imagination's flight, 
But humble speak as reason gives him might, 
Of things pertaining to the Temporal good 
Of every member of our sisterhood. 
Nor yet neglect that more important part 
That comforts, warms, and yet subdues the heart 
With tender love and spiritual grace serene, 
The gift of Him since Adam's fall unseen, 
Save in the presence of the Lord, whose light 
From Calvary shown to illuminate the night 
That brooded, dark and dreary, o'er the mind 
Of every creature of the human kind. 
'Tis written in God's holy book, be ye 
From sordid avarice, pride and discord free; 
Visit the sick, the naked clothe, and more, 
Let not the poor in hunger leave your door. 
Out of the store kind Nature's God has given 
Lend to the Lord! That is the way to heaven. 
Nor yet forget the mystic links which bind 
Rebekah's Daughters' kindred mind to mind. 
Do, by kind acts, teach hoary age and youth 
You prize your motto: "Friendship, Love and 
Truth." 






Z POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Be not too free your sisters' faults to find, 
While to your own you would have other's blind; 
But, with the starry robes of charity and love, 
Wrought by the hand of Him who reigns above, 
Shield from the gaze of earth's profane, and save 
Your sister, brother, from a dishonored grave. 
By precept and example do your part 
To kindle holy fire in every heart. 
Let the world know- — though social station be 
Asunder far as East and West — that we, 
As sisters, brothers, recognize the plan 
God has adopted for his creature man. 
Being united in life's toilsome race, 
Seeking to see Jehovah face to face, 
Turn not aside, but onward press with power, 
By grace divine, sufficient for the hour; 
Nor fail, each in his proper sphere to run 
With that orb of light and heat — the sun. 
And each diffuse as God the power has given 
Truth's brilliant rays to light the way to heaven. 
Remembering your plighted faith, my sister, go 
Where sickness sends its agonizing throe 
Through sister's fame or infancy's accents wail. 
Go there with woman's kindly, nurturing arts, 
Go, too, with willing hands and willing hearts; 
No hired assistance half such joy could bring 
As would gush spontaneous from such a spring 
Of sympathy. What though the floors of humble 

homes are bare, 
Heaven-born emotions, keen sensibilities, loving 

hearts are there. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 3 

Your hallowing presence, smiling though in tears, 
May soothe the heart and calm the orphan's fears, 
Or chase away dark sorrow from the couches 
Where disconsolate widowhood in anguish 

crouches. 
If duty calls to quit the festive hall, 
To others leave the gay and giddy ball. 
Gird on Truth's armor with the shield of right, 
Like Deborahs, in God's name go forth to fight. 
Go smooth death's pillow for the lowliest brother, 
Catch the last accents of the dying mother; 
By a sister's presence cheer her darkest hour, 
Thus teach the world Odd Fellowship has power 
To break the chain of caste, and fashion, too, 
And teach mankind to love the beautiful and true. 



ODD FELLOWSHIP. 



Tis nothing new, nor nothing strange, 
That this is still a world of change, 
And as the fleeting years roll round, 
Old friends they part, new ones are found, 
Like driftwood, drifting on the stream, 
We meet, we part, changed is the scene, — 
To live is one continued strife 
Of toil 'gainst want — friends, such is life. 

In youth's bright day with youthful glee 

We trifle with reality, 

And laugh at good old common sense 

Who tells us of Experience. 

The world before, so vast, so wide, 

Its varied scenes are all untried, 

With hope we mingle in the strife 

And sail out on the voyage of life. 

When out on life's tempestuous sea 
Before the wind we sail on free, 
But when the mighty tempests lower, 
When fierce winds beat and torrents pour, 
'Tis then we grasp the outstretched hand, 
Which comes at sympathy's command. 
'Tis then we feel the need of those 
Who will stand by us to the close, 
And hand in hand join in the strife 
And run with us the race of life. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Tis here our Order's work comes in, 
It makes us each other kin 
And carries out the Gospel plan, 
The brotherhood of man to man. 
'Tis here our Order's sacred rites, 
The just, the good, the true unites, 
Teaches our old men and our youth 
To practice Friendship, Love and Truth. 

Our Order stretches forth its hand 
To grasp and welcome in its band 
All honest men, upright and true, 
Who worthy will try and do 
The work which, in our Order's plan, 
Is that of the Samaritan. 

To love our Father and our God, 
To tread the path good men have trod, 
To live an honest, useful life, 
Make harmony instead of strife, 
Ourselves in virtue's grasp equip, 
This is the true Odd-Fellowship. 



Air— THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET. 

BY S. B. SUMNER. 



O swift from its birth have the seasons been gliding, 
And stronger apace hath our Brotherhood grown; 

Relief for the needy benignly providing 
From ocean to ocean, from zone unto zone. 

And better, far better, the while it has nourished 
The hearts of its chosen with manna of love; 

So, stronger enforced, as our Order has flourished, 
For service at last in encampments above. 

And now, as we gather, the past to rewaken, 
The present to hail, and the future foretell, 

New charities germ for the lone and forsaken, 
New gladness for households where vacancies 
dwell! 

So at last, as archangel shall open the volume 
Recording sweet mercies from each loving hand, 

Never doubt in the van of the welcomest column, 
All secrets revealed, shall Odd Fellowship stand! 

Then 'tis writ, shall the Master say: "Since ye have 
tendered 
To least of my brethren your offerings free; 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 7 

They were deeds unto which even death hath sur- 
rendered, 
For the tributes ye rendered, were rendered to 
Me." 

Oh, the deeds done in secret to succor distresses 
In final account shall find open reward; 

And each blessing bestowed on a brother most 
blesses 
The giver himself at the throne of his Lord! 




A BROTHER'S HAND. 



A stranger trod with weary feet 

A distant city's crowded ways; 
Along each thronged and busy street 

He passed, with anxious, wistful gaze. 
No friendly glance returned his own, 

No cheerful greeting bade him stand; 
Amid the crowd he moved alone, 

And longed to grasp a brother's hand. 

His face was brown and marked by care; 

His hands were rough from honest toil, 
The frost of time had blecahed his hair, 

His feet were stained with country soil, 
A shipwrecked sailor, old and poor, 

A stranger in a foreign land; 
'Twould give him courage to endure, 

Could he but grasp a brother's hand. 

A strange device this sailor bore — 

Three links cut from a golden chain; 
A passer marked the badge he wore, 

And checked his speed to look again; 
Then stopped, advanced, by word and tone 

Welcomed the wand'rer as his friend; 
The stranger's glance had met his own, 

He knew he grasped a brother's hand. 



POEMS—ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 9 

That night within a Lodge room's walls 

The shipwrecked sailor told his tale, 
And quick response to all his call 

He met from friends who seldom fail. 
With lightsome heart and purse well stored 

He parted from that kindly band; 
Blessings and gifts have on him poured 

Since first that brother grasped his hand. 

Thus brethren of the mystic chain 

Can find a friend in every clime 
To cheer their hearts and ease their pain, 

As did the hero of my rhyme; 
Tho' seas be crossed and mountains climbed 

To reach some strange and distant land, 
Yet even there they oft may find 

Some stranger brother grasp their hand. 



'CHARMS STRIKE THE SIGHT, BUT 
MERIT WINS THE SOUL." 



In good, old-fashioned days of yore, 
When names their traits symbols bore, 
E'en then, the Bible history doth tell, 
Of one, "Rebekah at the well." 

Now, she, with Friendship pure of heart, 
Let not the weary traveler depart — 
But gave him drink, — and more, withal, 
His thirsty flock, — refreshed them all. 

And bade him come, partake of rest, 
And frugal meal, the very best; 
Unknown to whom this welcome due, 
Was given with heart so nobly true. 

And while to stranger lands she roamed, 
From kindred, friends and home she loved, 
Her trusting heart, to nature true, 
Bade childhood's scenes a long adieu. 

Thus, sacred History's pages teem, 
And kindly deeds of love unfold, 
Of "Daughters fair, like Ruth, I mean, 
With wealth of filial love untold. 

"Entreat me not thy home to leave! 
My faithful care shall ever shelter thee. 
Thy home, — my home; thy God, — my friend, 
And naught, save death, part thee and me." 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 11 

Naomi, Hannah, Esther Queen, 
Whose lives and acts we often read, 
Till, to our wondering hearts, they seem 
Rare types of womanhood, indeed. 

And thus we find, in ages past and gone, 
The sterling traits in women were 
The levers of the mightiest power, 
And sunshine oft, — in the darkest hour. 

The mothers of the greatest, noblest men, 
Were dames of simple mind, 
Whose worthy, pure and virtuous lives 
Left brilliant, living marks behind. 

In days of early pilgrim faith, 
When gray-haired sires and silvered dames 
Endured the hardships of their race, 
These, too, our reverence claims. 

The old log cabin, with its green and mossy roof, 
The home and birth-place of our sires, 
The great, old-fashioned fire-place, 
Where burned the cheerful, crackling fire, 

The stately sire, in plainest homespun garb, 
The grandame, at her spinning wheel, 
The comely maid, with sweet and courtly grace, 
Are pictures of the far-off ancient days. 

Aesthetic airs and fleeting fashions gay 
Have robbed us of the long lost art, 
And decked the women of to day 
Like butterflies and "cupid darts." 



12 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

The pretty face, the lofty brow, that nature gave, 
Is hidden half by curl and "kink" and wave; 
The perfect, fair and fragile form, 
With senseless, gaudy ornaments adorn. 

Oh, woman, fair, pure and true! 

Let higher, nobler ends in view 

Employ thy thoughts, thy hands, thy heart, 

And nobly act your Christian part. 

For she, who in the poor man's lowly home, 

Does truly, loyally her duty 

As wife and mother, ranks above 

A useless, vain and royal beauty. 

Be this thy garb, — thy strength be Christian love, 

To lift humanity to God above. 

Such charms will lend a winning grace 

To simple nature's plainest face. 

Thy jewels bright be modesty and grace, 
And sweet Benevolence adorn thy face, 
And if, to cultivate and train thy mind, 
These old and truthful precepts bind. 

About thy neck, a necklace of much wondrous skill, 
Of many loving links, which will, 
With honest Faith and modest Truth, 
Add charms of loveliness to youth. 

Thy words be holy, humble, few, 
Thy soul, a heavenly mirror true, 
Thy will, obedient, ready, kind, 
Reflecting purity and peace of mind. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 13 

Thy voice, with cheerful words make glad 
The heart that's lonely, aching, sad; 
Thy hands, akin to loving works, 
Thy heart of purest Christian worth. 

"Oh, there's a beauty lies within, a power 
Whose pure, effulgent light 
Shines through to life's extremest hour, 
Unalterably true and bright. 

"The good and true bask in the warmth 
Its genial rays impart; 
Tell me, what outward beauty, then, 
Can equal beauty of the heart?" 



REJUVENATA. 



Tell me not our present numbers 
Are all the members we can get; 

That the time has come for slumber, — 
No, my brothers; no, not yet. 

Life is real, but uncertain, 

And the grave awaits us all; 
On our stage of life the curtain 

May at any moment fall. 

Not for you alone, my brothers, 

Did our Order have its birth; 
There are hundreds of all nations 

Who must learn to know its worth. 

They must know that time is fleeting, 
And, though strong in health and brave, 

Death there's no such thing as cheating, — 
You must travel to the grave. 

Trust no future, use the present, — 
Work at once and do your best; 

We will try to make it pleasant, — 
Bid them come and bring the rest. 

Let us take no recreation, 

Let us work with might and main, 
And each bring an application 

When our lodges meet again. 



REVERIES OF A REBEKAH. 

BY HOWARD PERCY. 



I would most gladly know, 
My sister, — not, indeed, by kinship's tie, 
But sistered by another bond more high, — 

Why do you trust me so? 

Sister by kin of soul, 
Because we worship the same God of love, 
Who sees and guides us from His throne above, — 

Father while ages roll. 

Sister by mystic right, 
And solemn vows that I shall meet at judgment day, 
The lily sheen is not more pure than they, 

Nor angel robe more white. 

And yet, it seems a dream, 
That you do count me worthy, and bestow 
All trust and confidence. How do you know 

That I am what I seem? 

Do you not often speak 
To men the inmost thoughts of your pure heart? 
And were it so, from you my faith would part, 

And wiser natures seek. 



16 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

When plunged in grief and gloom, 
When friends betray and hope from you has fled, 
And you feel envy of the peaceful dead, 

So quiet in the tomb, 

Why do you come to me, 
And open wide the chamber of your soul, 
As if you thought the tides I could control 

On life's tempestuous sea? 

There is no earthly gem, 
From Africa's mines or India's sacred streams, 
That hath so bright, to manhood's nature seems, 

Such priceless diadem 

As woman's trust, complete, 
In joy's all-radiant morn or sorrow's night. 
It makes him stronger in life's bitter fight, — 

Revives him in defeat. 

No hours can ever be, 
I shall not feel, that as I deal with you 
As to the right, I shall be false or true, 

So heaven will deal with me. 

I know, if I betray, 
If faith reposed in me is basely broken, 
If secrets told, by me are lightly spoken, 

Rue I the judgment day. 

But did your spirit look 
Into my nature's depth, and read aright 
What there you saw, below the range of sight, 

As from an open book? 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 17 



Men sometimes deftly try 
To win regard for selfish ends, or pride; 
When self is served they cast friendship aside. 

Why, sister, should not I? 



And so, ofttimes, I muse, 
And ask again, and asking, look on high 
For help I daily need to sanctify 

Friendship, and not abuse. 



THE PITCHER. 



So Rebekah, her pitcher uplifting, 
And pouring the water so clear, 

Stands out 'gainst a background of darkness, 
A vision of beauty so fair 

That we linger and watch every motion, 
And catch every gleam of her hair. 

And the water she pours for the guest 

Is the type of the life of our quest, 

And the gift, freely given, 

Like the bounty of heaven. 



THE WOOING OF REBEKAH. 

BY N. C. MORGAN. 



-Abraham, being old and having had sonic 
peculiar matrimonial trials and tribulations, sendeth 
his old servant to hunt a proper wife for Isaac. 

\)o you mind when good El'ezar, 
At the bidding of his master, 
Mounted on a hump-backed camel, 
Started forth to find a maiden 
Who was anxious to be married 
And was willing to be carried 
On a shuffling dromedary, 

Far away? 
How he jolted e'er the desert, 
Up and down the rugged hillside, 
Clinging to the reeling saddle 
Of the brute that onward bore him! 
There were lots o( maids unmarried, 
Who were willing to be carried 
On a camel, or to hoof it, 

Any day. 

The old servant soliloquizeth and layeth his 
plans as he journeyeth on. 

Thus thought faithful old El'ezar, 

And his toothless jaws did chatter 

As the big beast sprawled and stumbled, 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 19 

And the sun grew hotter and hotter: 
"How in time am I to know who 
Of the maids 1 meet will best do 
For the mother of the nations 

Yet unborn? 
I will linger by the well-side, 
Where the damsels come for water 
And of future hopes to chatter; 
There I'll listen to their gabble, — 
Sure I'll easy pick some daisy, 
Who for wedded life is crazy, 
That in single blessedness is 

Still forlorn." 
He proposeth an extreme test, which only the 
most amiable of women would accede to. 
"I will beg a drink of water — 
Which 1 wish 1 had this minute, 
For the wine is hot as Tophet 
And the sacks begin to si/.zle. 
If she says to me, 'Drink hearty, — 
Camels, dogs and all your party,' 
I will know she has been chosen 

Bride for Ike." 
Then they jogged along to Nahor, 
In the land of Mes'potamia, 
As the sun was getting weary 
With the hard work it had done. 
There they helped him down from humpy, 
For he felt all sore and dumpy, 
And so would any man that 

Rode the like. 



20 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

The radiant Rebekah came forth to draw 
water. Her appearance pleaseth the venerable 
ambassador. 

Soon a blithsome maid came singing, 
With a churn upon her shoulder, 
And her bare feet wet and rosy, 
As she well-ward took her way. 
Then El'ezar cleared his throat out, 
Straightened arms and legs and gown out, 
And proceeded to interrogate 

The maid. 
"Prythee! damsel, will you please to 
Give me just a sip of water, — 
Just a quart or two of water, 
For my throat is full of mud?" 
"Surely, stranger, I will fill you, 
If you think the stuff won't kill you, 
And the hump-backed things that bore you." 

'Twas a trade. 

The old Envoy Extraordinary practiceth his 
arts of diplomacy upon her with some success. 

Then the old man tapped his grip-sack, 
Brought forth divers golden gew gaws, 
And the maiden richly earned them 
Filling up the hollow brutes; 
For a camel drinks forever, 
And in all the earth there never 
Was a jolly maiden cursed with 
Such a task. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 21 

Then El'ezar talked of supper, 
Talked of fodder for his camels 
And a place wherein to lodge them, 
For the night was coming on. 
Then the maiden, wet and trembling, 
But her inmost thoughts dissembling, 
Said, "You'd better come to our house — 
Since you ask." 

Rebekah and El'ezar "put up" a surprise party 
on Bethuel. The street parade was formed. 

Then the old man and the young men 
And the water-laden camels, — 
Camels to the muzzle loaded 
With the water from the well, 
Started quick to find the stable, 
And the supper laden table, 
While Rebekah, with her churn, 

Led the van. 
Then came forth the maiden's brother, 
Seeking tidings of Rebekah, 
Knowing not that she had taken 
Such a contract at the well. 
On the way he chanced to meet them, 
Flew with eager joy to greet them; 
Then, to get all things in order, 

Homeward ran. 

Bethuel, in excellent good humor, receives 
them and listens to the old man's story, while the 
servants are preparing the veal and goat flesh. 



22 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Now came forth the aged Bethuel — 
Came to look upon the circus,— 
On the water-logged and bloated 
Dromedaries that they rode. 
Then down clambered old El'ezar, — 
Not too quick, for, gracious Caesar! 
It's a ticklish thing to do, this 
Climbing down. 

At the supper table seated 
The old servant told his errand; 
Told them he was out a gunning 
Under orders from his master; 
That he found Rebekah very 
Handy 'round a dromedary, 
And at housework he'd no doubt she'd 
Do it brown. 

Rebekah is not consulted, but the match is 
made just the same. 

"Take the damsel," said the mother; 
Said the father, "Take the maiden;" 
And her brother, Laban, shouted, 
"You are welcome to the maid." 
So they ate and drank and gabbled, 
Of great wealth El 'czar babbled, 
And when full as ticks they wabbled 

To their bunks. 
On the morrow ten huge camels, 
Like a range of barren mountains, 
Stood and chewed' their cuds in silence 
At Bethuel's open door. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 23 

While within, with rush and bustle, 
Things were packed; and, with a hustle, 
'Bekah gulloped down her fodder 
In great hunks. 

Having secured the prize, the caravan jour- 
neyeth homeward. Isaac and Rebekah meet. 

Through the door- way then they had led her, 

Forth forever from her childhood home, 

From her father and her mother, 

And the scenes of her sweet girlhood; — 

Flown forever happy childhood, 

Free from care as birds in wild wood; 

Life's stern duties lay before her 

Aught but merry. 
Flappy was the faithful servant 
As he led them back to Canaan; 
Back across the plains and hill-tops 
To the land of his kind master. 
Isaac in the field was roaming, — 
In the early evening gloaming 
Comes El'ezar with Rebekah — 

Whoa! Dromedary. 



HOW I CAME TO BE A "REBEKY.' 

BY CI NTH Y LEWIS. 



Cume inter the sittin' rume fire, Ma'am. 

An' so you're distributin' trax 
Agin secret societys, an' Odd Fellars, 

An' Rebekys, too, may I ax? 
Well, yes, I am a Rebeky, 

An' have bin fer ni thirty yere, 
Tho' I uste be awful agin 'em, 

An' uste git mad when I'de here 
Mi Moses a-talkin' about 'em; 

But now, I'm rite free tu confess, 
It were jealousy and misunderstandin' 

That made me so bitter, I guess. 
Fur I own up I fit an' oposed 'em 

With all o' the strength I could raze, 
An' made it 'xeedingly plezent 

Fur Moses along in them days. 
Well, that's when we lived to the este'ard, 

In Ohio, 'bout fifty-nine; 
We kep' hous fur father and mother, 

An' things went on swimmingly fine. 
An' if one of us had any sickness, 

An' the children got crupy at nite, 
Mother was there with the goose-grease, 

An' doctorin' an' all wuz sune rite. 
But we sold our farm in Ohio, 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 25 

An' Moses an' me an' our boys — 
Fer then we had two rozy darlins — 

Moved out here to South Illinois. 
But Illinoy ain't what it then were; 

When Moses and me fust cume here 
These farms was all brush and perary, 

An' the bottoms as wild as a deer. 
Lizy Nelson, our nighest dore nabur, 

Lived over nine miles awa, 
An* to go there on a errant 

Took up ni the half ov the da. 
Well, as 1 wer agoin' tu tell yu, 

We arriv here along about May, 
An' Moses jist wurkt like a nigger, 

A-choppin' an' clearin' away, 
So as he mite git his crop in 

Before it got late in the fall; 
As the boys was tu little tu help him, 

He didn't have no help at all. 
An' so he wurkt harder'n he orter, 

And 'xposin himself in the rane 
Fetched on an attack ov numony 

With its terrible sufferin' and pane. 
"Deth" recht fer him then, I kin tel yu; 

I kin scasely tel how he did live, 
'Xcept fer a strong constitushun, 

And nursin', the kind as was giv. 
You see, jist over 't the crossin', 

A dozen or two Odd Fellows lived. 
An' had formed a lodge ov the Order 

The summer before we arriv; 



26 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

An' Moses had visited their meetings 

A time or two 'long in the fall, 
So, as sune as they heerd ov his sickness, 

There was two ov 'em there all 
The time, a-nussin' an' watin' upon him, 

But "luck" was agin us, you see; 
The eperdemick was all thru the kentry, 

An' it struck my two darlins an.' me. 
My life seemed tu hang by a thred, 

An' when I cum to my senses, 
An' heerd my two darlins was ded, 
It was then that a darkness much deeper 

An' glumier than blackest dye, 
Settled down depe ore my bein', 

An' obscured all the lite o' mi sky. 
But the quietest, sweetest voiced wimen, 

Like angels o' mercy an' lite, 
Went flittin' 'round hither an' thither, 

'Twixt me and the darkness o' night. 
An' I said tu myself, haf unkonshus, 

"God bless 'em, whoever they be, 
Fer if they wa'nt angels from heven, 

Why, then they was strangers to me." 
But to make a long story the shortest, 

They nursed me and keered fer me thru 
That long, tejus spell ov the fever, 

Like sisters, devoted an' true. 
Then I prade that I, too, mite be like 'em, 

As gentle, as kind an' as good, 
With no hier thing writ on my tumestun 

Then that "She hath done what she could." 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 27 

Now, it's always ben my way o' thinking, 

Ef you want God to do as yu pray, 
Jist remember yu always kin help 'im 

By metin' yore anser haf way. 
So, as much as I wished to be like 'em, 

I thought the best thing for me 
Was to jine 'em, an' therefore I did so, 

An' tuck the Rebeky Degree. 
O, yes, I am a Rebeky, — 

You've heerd how the matter was dun, 
An' may God give me strength and devoshun 

To do my whole duty as one. 




THE YOUNG WIDOW. 



She is cunning — sometimes witty, 

Free and easy, but not bold; 
Like an apple, ripe and mellow, 

Not too young, and not too old; 
Half inviting, half repellant, 

Now advancing, and now shy; 
There is mischief in her laughter, 

There is danger in her eye. 

She has studied human nature, 

She is schooled in every art, 
She has taken her diploma 

As the mistress of the heart! 
She can tell the very moment 

When to sigh and when to smile; 
Oh, a maid is sometimes charming, 

But a widow, — all the while. 

Are you sad? Oh, then how serious 

Will her pretty face become! 
Are you angry? She is wretched, 

Saddened, friendless, tearful, dumb. 
Are you mirthful? How the laughter, 

Silver sounding, will ring out! 
She can lure, and catch, and play you, 

As an angler does a trout. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 29 

Ah! "Old fossils," nearly fifty, 

Who are plotting, deep and wise; 
Ye "Adonises," of twenty, 

With the love-light in your eyes! 
You may practice all the lessons 

Taught by Cupid since the fall, 
But I know a little widow 

Who can win and fool vou all! 



m 



REBEKAH. 



Who's at you night and day to "jine," 

And clings, as to the oak the vine, 

And captures you, ten cases out of nine? 

REBEKAH. 

Who, when she's caugnt you, treats you straight, 
And helps ice cream upon your plate, 
Regardless of your stomach's fate? 

REBEKAH. 

Who, on the cheerless wintry night, 
Doth make the lodge-room a delight, 
And put Subordinates out of sight, 

REBEKAH. 

Who, when Grand Officers appear, 
Doth load the table with good cheer, 
And beg permission to be near? 

REBEKAH. 

Who murmurs not at any slight, 
And gets by favor what's a right, 
And sweetly bids them all good night? 

REBEKAH. 



THE JINERS. 






Scene. — Enter Sam, throwing a package into his wife's lap. 

Samantha — Now, Sam Smith, what is this? I 
did not send by you for nothin'. 

Sam — I know that, Samantha, but can't a man 
get a new dress for his wife if she don't send for it? 

Samantha — Yes, I suppose some men can, but 
you ain't that kind of a man, Sam Smith; least- 
wise you never did, unless you wanted to jine 
something; and what's more, I don't think you 
ever will. Now, Sam Smith, what is it? Let's 
hear at once; what is it you want to jine now? 

Sam — Oh, Samantha, can't you be reasonable 
and look at your new dress? Ain't it pretty? and 
I paid twenty-five cents a yard for it; now just 
untie it, Samantha, and see how it shines. Taint 
every man that gets such a dress as that for his 
wife, I can tell you that, Samantha. 

Samantha — And you wouldn't if you didn't 
want to jine something. 

Sam — Look here, now, Samantha, I ain't never 
going to jine anything more unless my wife can jine 
with me, and that's why I got the dress, for I 
mean when we do jine you shall look as smart as 
any of them town folks. 

Samantha — There, Sam, didn't I tell you so; I 
knew you wanted to jine something, and now you 



32 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

want me to jine; that's a new dodge, Sam — I 
know you. 

Sam — It's no dodge at all, Samantha; but I 
will tell you all about it. I want to jine the Odd 
Fellers, and they have a lodge for women, but no 
women but Odd Fellers' wives and gals can jine 'em. 

Samantha — Me jine the Odd Fellers, Sam; 
I'd like to know who's going to take care of the 
young ones if I go to jining! 

Sam — Why, they don't meet but once a week 
and Sally Ann can take care of them just as well 
as she can when you go to town. 

Samantha (looking at her new dress approv- 
ingly) — It is pretty, Sam, that's a fact. 

Sam — Yes, I knew you would like it, and now 
hurry and get it made, and have it made stylish, 
cause you are to wear it among the town folks 
and I want my wife to look as smart as any of 
them, and I know she is a tarnel sight smarter 
than the most of them. (Samantha shakes out 
the goods and looks approvingly.) You had bet- 
ter get Miss Dodkins to make it; she will make 
you look stunin'. 

Samantha — Who said I was going to jine 
anything? I hain't, Sam Smith, but if you will go 
jining everything, I can't help it. 

Sam — Samantha, can't we have supper now? 
I want to go to town early and find out all about 
this wimen's lodge. 

Samantha — No, we can't have supper now, 
and I don't want to knov; anything about wimen's 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 33 

lodges nuther. (Sam gets up and looks out of 
the window. Samantha slyly sets a plate of 
doughnuts and some pie on the table and leaves 
the room. Sam turns around, eats the pie, puts the 
doughnuts in his pocket and goes out. Samantha 
enters with the dress on her arm.) 

Samantha — Well, he's gone to jine something 
more. Will that man ever get through jining? 
But never mind, this time I'll jine, and if I don't 
make it hot for them then my name ain't Saman- 
tha Smith. Now I'll get this dress made jest as 
soon as I can; guess I'll go over and see Miss 
Dodkins to-night (holding up the goods before 
her and looking in the glass). It is pretty, and I 
guess I'll look as smart as any of 'em. But jest 
let them have any of their carryings on after I 
jine 'em; I know how they act, and I'll expose 
them to the end of the arth; my time has now 
come and I'll use it, too. I'll make 'em wish 
they'd never jined no wimen's lodge before they 
get through with me. (She rolls up the goods.) 
Now, I'll make this dress cost Sam something; 
I'll just make it stylish. I'll go to town to-morrow 
and I won't get a bit less than ten yards of white 
lace, and I won't have nothin' less than fifteen cent 
lace, nuther, and I'll make Sam Smith pay for it, 
too. (She puts on her bonnet and shawl and 
starts for the dress makers.) 

Act II. — Enter Samantha, with dress on her arm. 

Samantha — Look here, Sam Dodkins has jest 
brought my dress home, and ain't it a beauty? 



34 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

It cost a big pile of money, though. Only think, 
you paid twenty-five cents a yard, and there's ten 
yards of it, and I paid fifteen cents a yard for this 
lace, and there's ten yards, and she put it all on to 
it, every speck on't, and then I paid a dollar and 
a half for the making, and sewed the lace onto it 
myself. But I don't care, I guess I'll look as 
smart as any of 'em. 

Sam — Yes, it is pretty, Samantha, and the 
wimen that beats you has got to get up early. 

Samantha — Say, Sam, have you found out yet 
how I can jine that wimen's lodge? I'm ready now. 

Sam — Y-a-s, leastwise I've jined it and handed 
your name in. (Sam hitches uneasily in his chair.) 

Samantha — And what did they say when you 
handed it to 'em, Sam? 

Sam — Why, they voted on it, Samantha. 

Samantha — They voted on my name? That's 
pretty doings, Sam Smith. Voted on my name! 

Sam — Why, Samantha, they alus have to vote 
on everybody that jines. 

Samantha — And if they don't want them they 
blackball 'em, and that's what they've done on 
me, Sam Smith. You need not deny it; I see it 
in your eyes. 

Sam — Well, well, Samantha, we'll try it again. 
I guess there's some of 'em that didn't like you, 
but we'll have you in yet; lots of 'em said so. 

Samantha — Have me in yet? No they won't. 
You did it yourself, Sam, I know you did. Have 
me in? I guess not much, but I'll have a divorce. 



POEMS— ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 35 

I'm done with pesky jiners. Yes, I'll have a 
divorce this very day. (Throws her dress on the 
floor and leaves the room. Sam, with his head 
between his hands, in tears.) 

Curtain falls. 

She walked into a lawyer's orifice in the west 
and requested a private interview; and having 
obtained it, and satisfied herself that the law 
students were not listening at the key-hole, said, 
slowly, solemnly, and impressively: "I want a 
divorce." 

"What for? I supposed you had one of the 
best of husbands," said the lawyer. 

"I s'pose that's what everybody thinks; but 
if they knew what I've suffered. in ten years, they'd 
wonder I hadn't scalded him long ago. I ought 
to, but for the sake of the young ones I've borne 
it and said nothing. I've told him, though, what 
he might depend on, and now the time has come. 
I won't stand it, young ones or no young ones. 
I'll have a divorce, and if the neighbors want to 
blab themselves hoarse about it, they can, for I 
won't stand it another day." 

"But what is the matter? Don't your husband 
provide for you? Don't he treat you kindly?" 
said the lawyer. 

"Well, if you must know, he's one of them 
plaguey jiners." 

"A what?" 

"A jiner; one of them pesky fools that's 
always jining something. There can't be nothing 



36 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

come along that's dark and sly and hidden, but 
he will jine it. If anybody should get up a society 
to burn his house down, he'd jine it just as soon 
as he could get in; and if he had to pay for it he'd 
go all the suddener. We hadn't been married 
more'n two months before he jined the Know 
Nothin's. We lived on a farm then, and every 
Saturday night he'd come tearin' before supper, 
grab a fistful of nut cakes and go off gnawin' 'em, 
and that's the last I'd see of him till morning. 
And every other night he'd roll and tumble in his 
bed and holler in his sleep, 'Put none but Ameri- 
cans on guard — George Washington.' And rainy 
days he would go out in the corn barn and jab at 
a picture of the Pope with an old bagnet that was 
there. I ought to have put my foot down then, 
but he fooled me so with his lies about the Pope's 
coming to make all the Yankee girls marry Irish- 
men, and to eat up all the babies that warn't born 
with a cross on their foreheads, that I let him go 
on and encouraged him in it. 

"Then he jined the Masons. P'raps you know 
what them be, but I don't, 'cept they think they 
are the same kind of critter that built Solomon's 
Temple. And of all the darned nonsense and 
gab about worshipful masters and squares and 
compasses and sich like, that we had in the house 
for the next six months, you never see the beat. 
And he's never outgrowed it, nuther. What do 
you think of a man, squire, that'll dress himself 
in a white apron, 'bout big enough for a monkey's 






POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 37 

bib, and go marching up and down, and making 
motions, and talking the foolishest lingo at a 
picture of George Washington in a green jacket 
and a truss on his stomach? Ain't he a loonytick? 
Well, that's my Sam, and I've stood it as long as 
I'm going to. 

"The next lunge the fool made was into the 
Odd Fellows. I made it warm for him when he 
came home and told me he'd jined them, but he 
kinder pacified me by telling me they had a sort 
of branch show that took in wimen, and he'd get 
me in as soon as he found out how to do it. 
Well, one night he come home and said I had 
been proposed and somebody black-balled me. 
Did it hisself, of course. Didn't want me around 
knowing of his goings on. Of course he didn't, 
and I told him so. 

"Then he joined the Sons of Malter. Didn't 
say nothing to me about it,, but sneaked off one 
night, pretendin' he'd got to sit up with a sick 
Odd Fellow; and I'd never found it out, only he 
come home lookin' like a man that had been 
through a thrashing machine, and I wouldn't do 
a thing for him till he owned up. And so it's 
gone from bad to wus, and from wus to wusser, 
jinin' this and that and t'other, till he's Worship 
Minister of the Masons, and the Goddess of Hope 
of the Odd Fellows, and Sword Swallower of the 
Finnegans, and Virgin Cerrsus of the Grange, and 
Grand Mogul of the Sons of Indolence, and Two- 
edged Tomahawk of the United Order of Black 



38 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Men, and Tale-bearer of the Merciful Manikins, 
and Skipper of the Guild Caratine Columbus, and 
Big Wizard of the Arabian Knights, and Big 
Pledge-passer of the Reform Club, and Chief 
Bulger of the Irish Machinists, and Purse-keeper 
of the Order of the Canadian Conscience, and 
Double-barreled Director of the Knights of the 
Brass Circles, and Standard-bearer of the Royal 
Archangels, and Sublime Porte of Union League, 
and Chambermaid of the Cherubs, and Puissant 
Potentate of the Petrified Pig-stickers, and the 
Lord only knows what else. I've borne it and 
borne it, hoping he'd get 'em all jined after a 
while, but 'taint no use; and when he got in a new 
one, and be made Grand Guide of the Knight of 
Horror, I told him I'd quit, and I will." 

Here the lawyer interrupted, saying, "Well, 
your husband is pretty well initiated, that's a fact; 
but the court will hardly call that a good cause 
for a divorce. The most of the societies you 
mention are composed of honorable men, and 
have excellent reputations. Many of them, though 
called lodges, are relief associations and mutual 
insurance companies, which, if your husband 
should die, would take care of you and would not 
see you suffer if you were sick." 

"See me suffer when I'm sick! Take care 
of me when he's dead! Well, I guess not! I can 
take care of myself when he's dead; and if I can 
not, I can get another; there's plenty of them. 
And they needn't bother themselves when I'm 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 39 

sick, either. If I want to be sick and suffer, it's 
none of their business; especially after all the 
suffering I've had when I ain't sick, because of 
their carryings on. And you needn't try and 
make me believe it's all right, either. I know 
what it is to live with a man that jines so many 
lodges that he don't never lodge at home, and 
signs his name, yours truly, Sam Smith, M. M., 
I. O. O. F., K. O. B., K. of P., P. of H., R. A. H., 
I. I. P., K. of X., N. C, L. E. T., H. E. R., R. I. P., 
X. Y. Z., etc." 

"Oh, that's harmless amusements." 
She looked him square in the eye. 
"I believe you are a jiner yourself." 
He admitted that he was to a certain extent, 
and she arose and said: 

"I wouldn't never have thought it. A man 
like you, chairman of a Sabbath-school, and a 
superintendent of the Republicans! It's enough 
to make a woman take pisen. But I don't want 
anything of you. I want a lawyer that don't 
belong to nobody or nothin'." And she bolted 
out of the office after another adviser. 



REBEKAH AT THE WELL. 

BY L. W. COLLINS. 



Rebekah stood at the wayside well; 

The water was cool and clear; 
Dripping ferns on the mossy stones fell; 

No curb or sweep was near. 
Long, wavy tresses of golden hair 

Strayed o'er the shoulders white; 
Beneath the brow, undimmed by care, 

Shone blue eyes, sparkling bright. 

With graceful form and lovely face, 

A model of beauty rare; 
The type of a patriarchal race, 

The fairest of the fair. 
The pitcher was brimming in her hand, — 

Why she lingered none could tell, 
When a stranger from a distant land 

Approached the wayside well. 

Weary, thirsty and travel-stained, 
He took from her the crystal water; 

When rest and confidence he had gained, 
"Who art thou?" he asked, "Bethuel's 
daughter?" 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND KEBEKAHS. 41 

He placed rare jewels on her face, 

And bracelets on her hand, — 
Rich ornaments to beauty and grace, 

Brought from Bersheba's land. 

Her sparkling eyes and flushing cheek 

Adding luster to the same, 
He said, "I've a word with you to speak; 

For my master's sake I came 
To find a wife his son to bless, 

And it is God's decree 
That you, true type of nobleness, 

Should journey home with me." 

At once, in some mysterious way, 

She knew his rank and name; 
"Your master's wish I will obey, 

Since 'tis for that you came." 
She bade adieu to home and friends, 

And Haran's youthful band, — 
The journey of life to end 

Far in a distant land. 

And safe arrived at even-tide, 

They met Isaac near the well, 
And he took Rebekah for his bride, 

In his mother's tent to dwell. 
Though Sarah's home was sadly grieved, 

And each heart was filled with gloom, 
Her cheering presence soon relieved 

The sorrows of the tomb. 



42 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

And when by Lahairoi's water 

Abraham met his son of old, 
With Mesopotamia's daughter, 

Richest blessings o'er them rolled. 
A long and happy life they led — 

A noble life all through; 
Of her the patriarchs have said, 

•'Heroic, lovely, true." 




THE REHEKAH SISTERS. 



We come, with smiling faces, 

On this, a festal night, 
With other kindred graces, 

To add to your delight; 
Our dainty gifts we proffer, 

The board to decorate, 
And our assistance offer, 

The feast to celebrate. 

We come, with footsteps willing, 

To follow where you lead, 
Life's ministry fulfilling, 

Of high and noble deed; 
You'll find us ever ready 

To answer duty's call, 
And faithful, firm and steady,- 

We'll neither faint nor fall. 

We promise to the Order 

The "Secrets" to revere, 
To mind the "Grand Recorder, "- 

The "Goat" we do not fear; 
Like lambs, you'll find us gentle, 

And, as the serpent, wise; 
Also, in times of trial, 

That strength within us lies. 



44 POEMS— ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

With fingers, apt and skillful, 

We'll weave our mystic webs, 
And if we find you willful, 

We'll set you down as "Rebs;" 
Sharpshooters, too, you'll find us; 

We seldom miss our aim; 
Our little, piercing arrows 

Are sure to fetch their game. 

We're advocates of "Union," 

Both of heart and hand, 
But hold that, in communion, 

Together we should stand. 
A great mistake now righted, 

With age, and sunny youth, 
We'll journey on, united 

In "Friendship, Love and Truth." 

We'll keep the watch-fires burning 

Of "Faith, Hope, Charity," 
The erring feet returning 

In paths of purity; 
With sisterly affection 

O'er each the "mantle" throw, 
Whose folds shall give protection 

From much of earthly woe. 

Beside a "stranger's" coffin 
We'll drop the silent tear, 

And to the lonely "orphan" 
We'll whisper words of cheer; 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 45 

The "widow's" way, all tearful, 
We'll strew with flowers bright, 

Whose bloom will make it cheerful 
And minister delight. 

Ready to help each other 

The weary load to bear, 
To see in each a brother 

Needing a tender care; 
We pledge our hands in friendship, 

Our hearts aglow with love, 
Till we shall meet to worship 

In the "Grand Lodge" above. 




DAUGHTERS OF REBEKAH, 

BY REV. D. K. LEE. 



"Man is the glory of the Lord, 

And woman is man's glory" — 
Said one who spoke the heavenly word 

And told the heavenly story. 
The glory of His glory, then, 

Most holy, whilst most human, 
The crowning light of God and man — 

The fairest life is woman. 

Woman is heaven's warm heart below; 

This glory we accord her; 
To her, with honors bright, shall go 

The welcome of our Order. 
While woman found a bolted door 

At Athens, Rome, and Mecca, 
Our temple gates unbar before 

The Daughters of Rebekah. 

Their prayers shall bringsweet blessings down, 

Their hymns sound our thanksgiving, 
Their hands our work of mercy crown, 

Their lives exalt our living. 
O, God, bless woman with Thy love, — 

With fairest honors deck her, 
And clothe with beauty from above 

The Daughters of Rebekah. 



REBEKAH'S OFF FOR THE CONVENTION 



"American Rebekah Lodge!" 

We glory in that name, 
And, though we are not very old, 

We get there, "All the same." 

Our craft is manned, and womaned, too, 

With hearts true as the sun, 
And anyone that beats us now, 

Will have to work, like fun. 

We are not bold, but all agree 

That in a kindly way, 
Our sisters, and our brothers, too, 

Can have their little say. 

Our goat is harmless as a dove; 

His coat is very sleek; 
And, though he's dyed fast in the wool, 

Don't take him for a sheep! 

He's bound for the "Convention;" 

Please do not think us rash; 
You'll find him by the "Pink and green," 

With the compliments of the Wabash. 



NO NAME. 

BY NICK G. DAVIDSON. 



Once, upon a Friday night, 

The "Beckies" had a candidate in sight; 

When, o'er the rocky road, 

They hustles him till he was pigeon-toed; 

Then, at the side of the room 

They stood him, as if he were but a broom; 

When lo! and behold, to him 

Came a sight of beauty. Was it a dream? 

A dream! Well, I should say no! 

Should you but ask him, he will tell you so. 

And yet the brotherhood will flinch, 

Because he knows the "Beckies" have the clinch 

On all the lodge work degrees, — 

And this, by quietly sitting, he sees. 

For, as the work moves along, 

The Rebekahs sing their beautiful song. 

Father Abraham, — says he, 

"Bring a wife, for my son Isaac, unto me; 

From the people of my own 

Bring me a maiden with hair that's brown." 

Then forth goes a servant and 

His guards, afar into a distant land; 

There secure a maiden fair, 

And returning, bring with every care. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 49 

Before they reached her new home 

A fine looking man through the field had come. 

"Who's that man?" the maiden cried. 

"Isaac, for whom thou art to be a bride." 

Quietly they march apace, 

When Isaac and Rebekah come face to face. 

They stand, with admiration. — 

Gaze on each other in consternation. 

"Master Ike," the servant cried, 

"I have brought you, of your people, a bride. 

This is a Rebekah, daughter 

Of the Bethual, near well of water 

Beside which lived her people; 

In a country where there is no steeple. 

Church, school-house, nor meeting place, — 

So we brought her here, to meet you face to face." 

"Uplift the veil that hides 

Her face from every expectant gaze; besides, 

The escorts you will remove, 

For now I will myself a gallant prove. 

Flower of the verdant lea, 

Like some beautiful dream thou comest to me; 

Your eyes like the sun doth shine, — 

I twig you come to be my Valentine." 

Then to father "Abe" they went, 

His blessings received, and were content. 

And then, as two lovers should, 

Built them a nice home as soon as thev could. 



50 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

And there many years they dwelled; 

To be sure "Becky" the reins always held, 

O'er their troubles they did float; 

And their "kid" grew to be a large sized goat. 

And thus the finest degree 

Of Odd Fellowship the brother did see. 

He no credit had given, 

But many is the nail he had driven 

Into the "Beckies" casket, 

As he supposed, for he could not grasp it 

That the women folks had brains 

Enough to run the lodge "and hold the reins." 

But now, let me tell you, 

He straightway for your petition will sue; 

He was more than satisfied, 

And now his conscience will not rest inside; 

He hops on the new victim 

Of the Subordinate, until to him 

Has his petition given 

To join the Rebekahs and be driven. 

Driven! Moses and Aaron! 

They'll drive you till your head hasn't a hair on, 

And then they will holler and yell 

Till you will think you have gone — well, 

The fact is you do not know, 

They have hustled and "bustled" you so. 

Good brothers, try this degree, 

And if not satisfied, lay it to me. ' 



AN IDEAL REBEKAH 

BY HOWARD PERCY. 



Where has the lost one gone? 
Embodiment of virtues high and rare, 
The sunshine of her presence lightened care 
And warmed all hearts by love-inspiring rays; 
Sad eyes grew brighter with her cheering gaze, 

Like mountain top at dawn. 

Friendship most firm and pure, 
And love for beings in God's image made, 
And love to God complete, which could not fade, 
And truth, and charity, like heaven's own, 
All blended in her life, were daily shown, — 

Naught did their light obscure. 

Her duiies in her home, [commune, 

Or in the sacred courts where men with God 
And put discordant hearts with His in tune, 
Or at the couch, where sick and dying lay, 
Though wearied oft, she would not put away 

Till sickness dire had come. 

Unselfish, faithful, true, 
To duty's stubborn call, come when it might, 
With face illumed as by supernal light, 
She gave glad heed, obeyed with cheerful mien; 
No saint to martyr's fate walked more serene 

Than she, with right in view. 



52 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Always she saw the best 
In erring souls, and gave a helping hand 
To lift the fallen, help the stumbling stand. 
She showed to them the rising star of hope, 
That souls despondent might with evil cope, 

Nor fail in life's contest. 

The Christ-love in her heart 
Waked sleeping virtues, love and gentleness 
In many bosoms, hard and cold, did bless 
The selfish, and the sorrowing quickly cheer. 
She made the stern forget to be austere; 

All gloom she bade depart. 

The Easter lily's sheen 
Was no jot whiter than her radiant soul, 
Nor purer than her thoughts, which did control 
Evil, ashamed, rebuked, shrank from her face, 
And in its look, grew high desires apace, 

Vanished all feelings mean. 

Earth will look lovelier now, 
To some sad hearts, which look in vain for cheer, 
When sorrow's clouds, so cold and black, are near. 
The memory of each word and generous deed 
Will upwards draw, to her, — she hath her meed; 

A halo wreathes her brow. 






HAIL! DAUGHTERS OF REBEKAH, 

BY L. M. WISE. 



Hail! Daughters of Rebekah, hail! 

Ye loving ones of earth — 
As patient at the dying bed, 

As joyous in your mirth. 

This world would be a wilderness, 

Its woes without a balm, 
But for the face of womankind, 

So gentle, mild and calm. 

Our mysterious order would grow lax 

And feeble in our land; 
'Twould droop like autumn's frosted leaves 

Without her helping hand. 

A lodge without this good degree, 

One cannot but suppose, 
Would be quite like a damask bush 

Without its blushing rose. 

Their mission is a glorious one. 

As lasting as all time; 
Their bond a bond of unity, 

Eternal and sublime. 



54 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

To give the thirsty traveler drink, 

To aid the poor their vow, 
To watch beside the dying bed, 

To fan the fevered brow. 

To gently chide the erring ones, 

To comfort the distressed, 
To cast the chain of Friendship 'round 

The weary and oppressed. 

To work with patience and with zeal, 

To let their virtues shine, 
To practice what they teach, and prove 

Their tenets all divine. 

In erring souls they oft may drop 
The true, the righteous leaven, 

And rescue from the paths of sin 
Some angel form for heaven. 

"God Speed" I bid them in their work; 

May all their actions prove 
That they perform the peerless deeds 

Of Friendship, Truth and Love. 



A SISTER REBEKAH. 



She has no dazzling charms, no classic grace, 
Nothing, you think, to win men's heart about her; 

Yet, looking at her sweet and gentle face, 

I wonder what our lives would be without her! 

She has no wish in this great world to shine, 
For work outside a woman's sphere no yearning; 

But, on the altar of home's sacred shrine, 
She keeps the fire of pure affection burning. 

We tell our griefs into her patient ear; [dreary; 

She whispers "Hope" when ways are dark and 
The little children like to have her near, 

And run into her arms when weary. 

Her steps fall lightly by the sufferer's bed; 

Where poverty and care abounds she lingers; 
And many a weary heart and aching head 

Finds gift of healing in her tender fingers. 

She holds a helping hand to those who fall, 

Which gently guides them back to paths of duty; 

Her kindly eyes, with kindly looks for all, 
See in uncomliest souls some hidden beaifty. 

Her chanty would every need embrace; 

The shy and timid fear not to address her; 
With loving tact she rightly fills her place, 

While all who know her pray that heaven may 
bless her. 



SOMETIMES. 



Sometime, when all life's lessons have been learned, 

And sun and stars for evermore have set, 
The things which our weak judgment here had 
spurned, 

The things o'er which we grieve with lashes wet, 
Will flash before us out of life's dark night, 

As stars shine most in deepest tints of blue; 
And we shall see how all God's plans are right, 

And how what seemed reproof was love most true. 

And we shall see how, while we frown and sigh, 

God's plans go on as best for you and me; 
How, when we called, He heeded not our cry, 

Because His wisdom to the end could see. 
And even as prudent parents disallow 

Too much of sweet to craving babyhood, 
So God, perhaps, is keeping from us now 

Life's sweetest things, because it seemeth good. 

And if, sometimes, commingled with life's wine, 

We find the wormwood, and rebel and shrink, 
Be sure a wiser hand than yours or mine 

Pours out this portion for our lips to drink. 
And if some one we love is lying low, 

Where human kisses cannot reach the face, 
O, do not blame the loving Father so, 

But wear your sorrow with obedient grace. 



POEMS— ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 57 

And you will shortly know that lengthened breath 

Is not the sweetest gift God gives His friend; 
And that sometimes the sable pall of death 

Conceals the fairest boon His love can send. 
If we could push ajar the gates of life, 

And stand within and all God's workings see, 
We could interpret all this doubt and strife, 

And for each mystery could find a key. 

But not to-day. Then be content, poor heart; 

God's plans, like lilies, pure and white, unfold; 
We must not tear the close shut leaves apart; 

Time will reveal the calyxes of gold. 
And if, through patient toil, we reach the land, 

Where tired feet, with sandals loosed, may rest, 
When we will clearly know and understand, 

I think that we will say: "God knew the best." 






ONE CHRISTMAS. 

BY L. G. WILSON. 



On a South Dakota prairie, one cold November 

day, 
A widow and her children were bringing home 

the hay 
That must furnish food and shelter for the horses 

and the cow, 
And must also be the fuel for the little household 

now. 

For the husband and protector lay beneath the 

prairie sod, 
While the mother and her children, trusting only 

now in God, 
Were struggling almost helpless, yet with earnest 

might and main, 
To brave the coming winter and secure their 

homestead "claim." 

The scanty supper ended — their evening prayers 

were o'er; 
A stranger, guided by the light, rapped at the 

outer door; 
In answer to a welcome, he stood within the 

room, 
And asked, "Until the morning can I share your 

humble home?" 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 59 

k 'I am lost upon the prairie, and the storm is 

coming fast; 
Will you give to me, a stranger, shelter from the 

raging blast?" 
She pointed to a picture that hung upon the 

wall, 
And said, "'Twould not be right, sir, to refuse a 

sufferer's call." 

He understood the picture, but questioned of the 

same; 
She answered thus — "My husband was a member. 

ere we came 
To the prairies of Dakota, of a lodge of Brothers 

true, 
And said to me, 'Preserve it; it. may bring relief 

to you.' " 

He asked if she held papers, and was handed then 
a card, 

Showing that he was a member and held in high 
regard 

By a lodge of worthy Brothers, bound by Friend- 
ship, Truth and Love, 

In the state from whence they journeyed ere he 
joined the lodge above. 

He shared their humble shelter, and when the 

morning came, 
Their kindness he rewarded and started o'er the 

plain; 



60 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

While the little household hastened to complete 

their heavy task 
Of guarding, in their humble way, against the 

stormy blast. 

In earnest came the winter, and with children 

thinly clad, 
This widow's hands were weary and her mother's 

heart was sad, 
For her purse was almost empty and their larder 

smaller grew; 
How they could reach the spring-time only God 

and Angels knew. 

The days and weeks drag wearily, the time is very 

near 
When many lay aside their cares and joined in 

Christmas cheer; 
But for these Dakota children there was little yet 

in store, 
Tho' the mother planned and trusted, praying 

God would send them more. 

Christmas eve came 'round at last; the children 

eager now 
That "Santa" find their distant home, but largely 

wonder how, 
With roads all drifted over and no fences by the 

way, 
The good old man could reach them before the 

coming day. 

Small stockings hung around the stove and earnest 
prayers were said; 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 61 

These weary little ones at last were sound asleep 

in bed; 
But the mother prayed and waited, nor was her 

vigil vain, 
For Santa had remembered them and here he was 

again. 

For a team was quickly halted, a rap heard at the 

door, 
And thick and fast the parcels big were piled 

upon the floor. 
Boxes, and barrels, too, 'tis said, were in the cellar 

rolled, 
And a heavy purse was given "for her Christmas" 

she was told. 

With streaming eyes this widow then asked eagerly 

the name 
Of him who with such bounty to their relief now 

came; 
He pointed to the picture still hanging on the 

wall: 
"Tis from a lodge of Odd Fellows, and that 

explains it all." 

Words cannot very well portray this home that 

Christmas day, 
So to your imagination I will "grant the right of 

way." 
Oh, Brothers, Christmas' coming, and by our 

fraternal ties, 
I pray you heed the Master's charge, "Go thou 

and do likewise." 



THESE LINKS OF GOLD. 

BY LEMUEL G. WILSON. 



You ask me why we're wearing 

These "Little Links of Gold;" 
If they symbolize some daring 

In the lives of men of old; 
Do they represent some magic 

Only favored ones behold; 
Is there really any virtue 

In these "Little Links of Gold?" 

Thus question after question 

Is propounded every day, 
And some real peculiar people 

Are disposed hard things to say. 
Of mean or noble, Prince or Priest, 

This statement's just as true; 
The very ones who know the least 

Will tell it all to you. 

If you'll listen I will tell you 

Of the mystery you would know, 
Of charms that gather 'round the hall 

Where these Odd Fellows go, 
Who falter not in summer's heat, 

Or winter's piercing cold, 
But doing deeds of mercy, 

Wearing always — Links of Gold. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 63 

Long years ago the Master heard 

The piteous cries of woe, 
As they come from hill and valley, 

From both high degree and low, 
So he came down on a mission 

Of Fraternity and Love, 
And taught by His example 

How the Grand Lodge works above. 

Some essential truths He taught us 

Were of Friendship, Love and Truth, — 
Three Golden Links from heaven 

For the aged and the youth. 
Pure religion as He taught it 

When he walked Gennesaret's shore; 
Fatherless and widow visit 

And relieve the worthy poor. 

He visited the sick while here, 

And the hungry ones he fed; 
"The poor ye have always with you" 

Were the earnest words he said. 
"As ye ministered to one of these, 

Ye did it unto me," 
Are words we'll hear at the wicket 

In that Lodge of Eternity. 

He told how Priest and Levite 
Passed the wounded stranger by, 

While the "hated old Samaritan" 
Answered prompt the sufferer's cry. 



64 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

Thus he taught His beloved disciples 
That if heaven they would gain, 

They must lift a fallen brother, 
Give him raiment, ease his pain. 

We know they met in secret, 

In the Garden — on the Mount; 
They withdrew from crowd and tumult 

Their experience to recount. 
Or in upper chamber gathered, 

Brother Peter calling late; 
And we know there were Rebekahs, 

For a damsel kept the gate. 

So, in our peculiar manner, 

We are striving to obey 
The teachings of the Master 

As He went His weary way. 
And we know there is a harvest 

Gathered in from far and near, 
That will meet his warm approval 

When we've closed our labors here. 

If more than this you wish to know, 

Or, with us our work divide, 
The way is open — there is room, 

We pray you- — come inside. 
Yes, we'll wear three Golden Links, Brothers, 

Till the Master's gavel falls; 
Then, open in that Grand degree, 

In the Lodge with Jasper walls. 



REBEKAH. 

BY VERE V. HUNT. 



She stood by the well in the hush of the evening, as 

the daylight was kissing the soft lips of night, 
And the stately old palm trees ne'er gazed on a 

fairer, or lovelier, holier, more sanctified sight, 
As she rested one ivory arm on the pitcher, and 

gazed with dark orbs down that deep ancient 

well; 
Then she rose up erect, for the voice of a stranger 

broke the silence that settled o'er plain and 

o'er dell. 
He was old, was the stranger, and long, snowy locks 

hung in graceful neglect down his sun-burned 

neck, 
But his garments proclaimed him no vagabond 

traveler, nor the jewels his hands did so gayly 

bedeck. 
'Neath the shade of the trees stood his sand- 
covered camels, tired out from a long, weary 

march o'er the sand, 
With a load of strange trappings and paraphernalia, 

that seldom were seen in her own quiet land. 
Said the stranger, "Fair maiden, may I from that 

pitcher quench the thirst that now parches 

my dust-begrimed lips?" 
"Drink, my lord," said the maiden, and smiled 

with enjoyment as eager the cool, crystal 

water he sips. 



66 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

"I will draw for thy camels the beverage also," and 

she does, and invites the tired traveler home, 
Where her father receives him with true eastern 

welcome, and begs he will not be in haste 

thence to roam. 
In the morn the traveler tells the fair maiden the 

mission that brought him, and asks her to go 
To the land of a stranger, to the arms of a husband 

she never has seen and she never did know. 
But she pauses not, falters not; on o'er the desert 

she speeds with the stranger, till far, far away 
She discerns a figure; she climbs from her camel 

and down at the lord's feet in beauty she lay. 
And she made him a wife, — none was wiser and 

better; from their loins sprang God's people, 

his own chosen race. 
In her daughters, for ages, have stood forth those 

features that marked her as queen both of 

beauty and grace. 
So too you, dear sisters, when asked for to join 

us, knew naught of these secrets our silence 

well hid, 
But you came trusting, hoping that Love, Truth 

and Friendship to woman's kind heart would 

a true welcome bid. 
And I doubt not you found it, and know that in 

ages to come, when we long have slow 

crumbled to dust, 
That the daughters Rebekah has left them behind 

her, in Odd Fellow's teachings most loyally 

trust. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



LODGE HYMN. 

BY HENRY S. BAKER, PH. D. 



Again, in friendship's name, 
Our hearts with love aflame, 

We gather here, 
To make some sad heart light, 
Some care-worn face more bright, 
To work for God and right, 

To spread warm cheer. 

Let each resolve to be 
Type of fidelity 

To vows most high; 
And guard each brother's weal 
With never tiring zeal, 
And make him ever feel 

True friends are nigh. 

May all our actions be 
Outgrowth of purity 

And truest love; 
May selfishness not come 
Within this sacred home, 
Type of the heavenly dome, 

Our rest above. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

May all be true as steel, 
Our hearts be quick to feel 

For other's grief; 
And our brief lives all be 
Filled full of charity, 
Helps to humanity, — 

Woe's swift relief. 






w 



FRIENDSHIP, LOVE AND TRUTH 






There's beauty in the lowlands. 

There's grandeur in the heights; 
There's glory for an Order 

That goes for human rights. 
Then keep alive the motto 

We cherished in our youth, 
And bear aloft the banner 

"Of Friendship, Love and Truth." 

Tho' o'er life's desert dreary, 

Like pilgrims still we stray, 
We'll aid our brother weary, 

And cheer him on his way. 
Then, if he fall beside us, 

When kindness fails to save, — 
The evergreen of Friendship 

We'll strew upon his grave. 

Our mission's one of mercy. 

Our purposes are high; 
We heed the moan of sorrow 

And the needy when they cry. 
We help the lonely widow. 

And orphans in their youth, 
And they shall bless the Order 

Of "Friendship. Love and Truth. 



4 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

We love our noble Order, 

And all its members, too, 
Who heed their obligation — 

To all their vows are true. 
We love a good Rebekah, 

Naomi or a Ruth, 
And treat them all like honest Boaz, 

With "Friendship, Love and Truth.' 

Then push ahead the Order, 

Until its truths are sent 
From regions of the North 

To the Caffre in his tent. 
And keep alive the motto 

We cherished in our youth, 
And bear aloft the banner 

Of "Friendship, Love and Truth/ 



THE ODD FELLOWS. 



Odd Fellows, when together met, 
Are not, perhaps, so odd a set 

As many people say; 
Unless, indeed, it odd may be 
That they should meet for charity, 

With conscience clear for pay. 

When the pale sufferer, seized by death, 
But faintly draws his short'ning breath, 

They cool his fevered tongue 
And gently bathe his throbbing brow, 
While scenes of earth, swift fleeing now, 

By single hair seems hung. 

Or, when the spirit's self is gone 
To that far land, to us unknown, 

To dwell in tents of clay, 
The fixed and glassy eyes they close, 
The pain-distorted limbs compose, 

And to the tomb convey. 

Odd Fellows! — surely odd they are! 
The sick, the naked have their care; 

The hungry, too, are fed; 
So odd that they without reproof 
The houseless stranger give a roof 

And where to lay his head. 



SELFISHNESS. 

BY lll'NKV s. BAKER, PH. D. 

1 can't afford it. Why should 1 

Show friendship when the fates do frown 
On one 1 knew in days gone by, 

Now adverse Luck has east him down? 

I hardly think that he can rise 

And fortune make in honest trade; 

For him life seems to hold no prize, 
By helping him can naught be made. 

Loan him some money? How absurd, 
lie might pay slow, or not at al.l. 

Business, not charity, my word, 
When needy men for money call. 

lie moves no more within my set; 

At banks no value has his name; 
If ever favors 1 won hi get, 

I lc cannot give me gold nor lame. 

I )o I led sorry? Yes, somewhat, 

But yet, wherein should 1 have blame: 
My brother's keeper 1 am not, 

I need not save his life nor name. 



ODD FELLOWS SONG 

5ATTER1 E B 



ne- Bring Back my Bonnie. 

An emblem I eai on ny bosom, 
nposed i A tiny links three 

For by them 1 learned the grand less.—. 
By us called Fraternity 

rtjs:— 

Friendship. Love and Truth. 

- . ■ nott< sc ieai to me; 
Friendship, Love and Trutl 
Bonds of Fraternity 

The nrst link betokens a Friends 
As deathless as brothej s 01 kin. 

Protects us in every hardship 
Withholds us from sorrow and s 

rus: — 

The second ok Lc e for each othei 
Will aid us in life's deepest woe, 

And care re: the Oioh.ms .-:e Mothers 
When death at the Last lays us lc 

Chorus: — 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND KEBEKAHS. 

The third link of Truth, a reminder 

Of all that is noble and true, 
Guides safely 'midst storm-bursts of passion; 

'Twill aid us to be and to do. 



Chorus: 



So this, our grand motto fraternal, 
With wisdom is blessed and sweet; 

Links mortals unto the supernal, 

And each brother thus we will £reet. 



Chorus:— 



THE ORPHAN'S PRAYER. 

BY C. C. HASSLER. 



When the shades of evening gathered 
'Round the humble cottage door, 

And the dark blue vault of heaven 
Soon with stars was covered o'er, 

There within, with hearts uplifted, 
Voices sweetly rose and fell, 

Asking God to bless the Order 
-"Papa always loved so well." 

Asking not for wealth or treasure, 

Nor forJionor linked with fame, 
But with faith that none can measure. 

Calling on His holy name; 
Thus from the lips of orphan children, 

Whose bereavement few can tell, 
Asking God to bless the Order 

"Papa always loved so well." 

Oh, the sacred work and labor. 

How it should our efforts cheer! 
Closer bind each friend and neighbor, 

When the orphan's prayer we hear. 
Not for self, but in the future, 

Grateful hearts with love will swell, 
Asking God to bless the Order 

"Papa always loved so well." 



WHO ARE THE ODD FELLOWS? 



O, who are they who ever stand 

Along life's rugged way, 
With fighting heart and gentle hand 

Misfortune's tear to stay; 
Who from the pleading of the poor 

Ne'er turn their ear aside, 
Whose footsteps often seek the door 

Where woe and want abide? 
Tis the generous band who, hand in hand, 

From gray beard to the youth, 
Have sworn they side to side will stand 

In Friendship, Love and Truth. 

Speed on, ye faithful brothers, speed! 

And blessings with you go; 
Still aid the widow in her need, 

And soothe the orphan's woe; 
Still by the heart-sick stranger's side 

With words of kindness stay, 
And bid the deep and troubled tide 

Of sorrow pass away. 
Ye generous band, long may ye stand — 

The gray beard and the youth- 
Shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, 

In Friendship, Love and Truth. 



THE THREE LINKS. 



Friendship is not an empty sound, 
Nor does it grow where frauds are found; 
From heart to heart its tendrils are 
Firm bonds between the near and far; 
Its warmth is felt in touch of hand, 
When brothers true together stand; 
To all the world, like light, it brings 
Some smile of God to smallest things. 

Love, with a glory all its own, 

Reaps grain where foolish tares were sown, 

Flings smiles on sorrow's sobbing breast, 

And soothes the anguished heart to rest. 

In every clime beneath the sky, 

The falling tear its touch can dry; 

The tempest-tossed finds it an ark 

With rainbows bending o'er the bark. 

And Truth is God's own attribute, 

From His own self a worthy shoot; 

The rock on which all good is based, 

The column whereon love is traced, 

The throne where Friendship reigns in state, 

The balance which gives even weight 

To every deed. Odd Fellows, we 

Are linked together by these three! 



FORGET THEM. 



Don't bring into the lodge room 

Anger spite and pride; 
Drop at the gate of the temple 

The strife of the world outside. 
Forget all your cares and trials, 

Forget every selfish sorrow; 
Remember the cause you meet for, 

And haste ye the glad to-morrow. 

Drop at the gate of the temple 

Envy, spite and gloom; 
Don't bring personal quarrels 

And discord into the room; 
Forget the slights of a sister, 

Forget the wrongs of a brother; 
Remember the new commandment, 

That ye all love one another. 



WHEN ADAM WAS A KID. 



There ain't much fun in livin' now. 

For little kids like me, 
'Cause ev'rybody's down on us, 

An' folks won't let us be. 
It didn't use to be that way, 

When Adam was a kid; — 
He wasn't bullyragged and jawed 

For everything he did. 

He didn't have to go to church, 

An' Sunday school an' such, 
Nor wash himself, nor brush his hair, 

Nor sit up straight — not much! 
He done whatever he'd a mind — 

For nuthin' was forbid; — 
You bet that boys had jolly times 

When Adam was a kid. 

If he went through a melon patch — 

As kids most always do — 
He didn't have no dad to take 

An' lick him black an' blue; 
An' when he heard his mother's voice, 

He never run an' hid; — 
Boys didn't have no pa an' ma 

When Adam was a kid. 



14 POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

The world, folks say, is wiser now, 

An' better, too, than then, 
But I can't see that latter times 

Turns out much better men. 
May be we've got more books an' schools, 

Than what the ancients did, 
But people had more common sense 

When Adam was a kid 

I wish them times would come ag'in 

To little kids, once more, 
An' let the world wag on ag'in, 

Jus' like it done before. 
Who wouldn't like to be a boy 

If he could live amid 
Such bully, bully times as them 

When Adam was a kid? 



THE ODD FELLOWS' ORPHANS. 

BY MRS. M. L.^GARDINER. 



Orphans are ye, ye lovely ones- 
Orphans, and yet so bless'd? 

Your brows are tranquil and serene, 
As when on Beauty's breast 

You lay, the loved of plighted vows. 
Breathed in the moon's pale light, 

When parents o'er you fondly hung, 
And revelled in the sight. 

O! if from happier realms above 

Departed spirits look, 
How sweet to them the loveliness 

Engraven in this book! 
How must their glowing hearts expand 

With pure, ecstatic bliss, 
Wandering amid the spirit-land, 

To gaze on scenes like this! — 

To see their children's sunny brows 

No trace of suffering wear, 
Their laughing eyes, sparkling and bright, 

Undimm'd by sorrow's tear, 
In childhood's pleasing task engaged, 

Dressing their flowing hair; 
Like little angels, side by side, 

So beautiful and fair! 



16 



POEMS—ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 

O! early left and early doomed, 

And early sought and found, 
When all you loved the earth entombed, 

An arm embraced you 'round; 
An arm of holy Fellowship, 

Whereon the weary rest, 
Which ever proves in time of need 

A refuge for the oppress'd; 

Designed by heaven for hoary age, 

For childhood, and for youth, 
Whose motto, on the "Offering's" page, 

Is Friendship, Love and Truth. 
Smile on, ye little, blessed ones, 

Smile in your infant glee; 
No happier moments wait for you 

Than those which now you see. 

Upon your cherub faces gaze, 

As in the glass you meet; 
Wreath the fresh roses 'round your brows 

So stainless and so sweet; 
When in your artlessness array'd, 

Go, with your smiles divine, 
And 'round the neck of him you love 

Your fairy arms intwine. 

Go, cling to that beloved friend 
Whose meed of virtuous praise 

Is worthy of a monument 
Higher than man can raise. 



POEMS — ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 17 

Forever cling ye. precious ones — 

Yea, cling till death you part, — 
And may the sigh that rends his soul 

Re first to wring your heart! 



THE FLOWER OF ODD FELLOWSHIP. 



Faith, Hope and Charity agreed 
To enter Eden's lonely bowers, 

Root up each vile and noxious weed, 
And there transplant immortal flowers. 

Among the plants which 'round them grew, 

Was one of origin divine; 
Its leaves were bright cerulean blue, 

The loveliest one on nature's shrine. 

So sweet and fragrant was its breath. 

All sparkling with the dew of youth, 
Odd Fellows formed it in a wreath, 

And called it Friendship, Love and Truth. 



THE WOPLD WOULD BE BETTER FOR IT. 



If men cared less for wealth and fame, 

And less for battlefield and glory; 
If writ in human hearts a name 

Seemed better than in song or story; 
If men, instead of nursing pride, 

Would learn to hate and abhor it; 
If more relied on love to guide, 

The world would be the better for it. 

If men dealt less in stocks and lands, 

And more in bonds and deeds fraternal; 
If love's work had more willing hands, 

To link this world to the supernal; 
If men stored up love's oil and wine, 

And on bruised human hearts would pour it 
If yours and mine would once combine it, 

The world would be the better for it. 

If more would act the play of life, 

And fewer spoil it in rehearsal; 
If bigotry would sheath its knife, 

Till good became more universal; 
If customs, gray with ages grown, 

Had fewer blind men to adore it; 
If talents shown in truths alone — 

The world would be the better for it. 



POEMS— ODD FELLOWS AND REBEKAHS. 19 

If men were wise in little things, 

Affecting less in all their dealings; 
If hearts had fewer rusted strings, 

To isolate their kindly feelings; 
If men, when wrong beats down the right, 

Would strike together and restore it; 
If right made might in every fight — 

The world would be the better for it. 




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